Killian's Inferno
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: Emma, as well as her family, friends, and even Mr. Gold, all journey into the Underworld, most of them with hope of saving Killian from an eternity of agony and torment and to bring him back life. Not only do they not know where to begin their search, but enemies from the heroes' pasts return to stop them, along with new villains too. Rumpelstiltskin is only too happy to help them.
1. Chapter 1

Killian's Inferno

Chapter One

Killian awoke when he suddenly gasped in agony as his pain from Excalibur's blade being thrust through his chest and from the large gash it left along his neck came flooding back, causing him to roll over onto his side and curl within himself, making himself as small as possible in effort to try to lessen his agony.

Though the pain didn't dissipate any, the ship captain was finally able to get it more under control as he struggled to sit up to try to look at his surroundings, finding that he no longer had his hook upon what he saw now was nothing more than his stubbed arm, and being unable to see anything at all in the darkness until a white light shined down from above wherever he was being held, though not directly over him, but illuminating a lone, dark woman with no eyes inside of the hollows where her eyes should be as she slowly walked toward him until she stopped and towered over him and began to speak with an eerie voice that chilled Killian to his core.

"Fair is foul and foul is fair," she said almost softly until another light reigned down before a second woman, also without eyes, entered.

"It seems a pirate has come into our realm," the second woman continued as she too towered over him while he tried to look at them without appearing as afraid as he felt.

A third light immediately shone down as one final woman, the same as the others, appeared and spoke as well saying, "A pirate, who twice was a villain and twice was a hero."

Hook tried to intervene until the first being cut him off as she added mockingly, "And who actually believes himself to be a hero in the end."

"Yes, but which one is he really, or can he be both?" the second woman asked coldly while she bent down to become face level with him as she roughly grabbed his chin to get him to look at her and in that moment he knew that these women were either witches or demons, who didn't need their eyes to see his fear and the agony he felt.

"Hades will reveal the truth and send him to where he belongs this night," the third said again with a cruel smile.

Killian roughly yanked the cold, undead hand away from him as he glared between his tormentors as he struggled to rise despite his pain as he shouted angrily, "Enough witches! I don't know or care who you are. And I don't pretend to be ignorant of my sins that have brought me here into the Underworld. If Hades is the ruler of this dark place, then let him come before me to continue to inflict whatever torment he has in store for me. It is certainly no less than I deserve."

The first witch pulled something from beneath the sleeve of the cloak she wore, revealing it to be a single eyeball as it rose from her hand and hovered in the air before her, then she answered, "It is indeed no less than you deserve, pirate. I see all of your deeds in life."

"The good and the bad ever since you were born into that world above," the second witch replied as she swiftly snatched the eye from the other woman and seemed to stare into it as it too hovered in front of her like before.

"We've seen your past, present, and your future, or that is until you died and came here to us," the third responded after taking the eye from both of her fellow witches.

Killian collapsed back down to the ground beneath him as his pain increased deeply, then reopened his eyes, being unable to see anything more than the monsters before him as his eyes softened and he spoke again as if pleading, "Do whatever you will with me. I know why I'm here. It is a price I am more than happy to pay to assure that the woman I love and her family and friends can all live their happy endings, and so that the darkness could finally be destroyed forever."

It was then that another being finally stepped forward between the witches, appearing as an ordinary man illuminated by blue flames surrounding his entire body, then slowly knelt down before Killian in order to become eye level with him as he said with a cruel smile, "And that is why I have come to your prison personally to meet you, Killian Jones; pirate captain of the Jolly Roger, both villain and hero to all of those whom you so nobly sacrificed your life to save. I have looked forward to getting to know you for a very long time."

In Storybrooke…

Emma, Henry, both of her parents, Regina, and Robin all surrounded Hook's body now lying within a crypt inside of Regina's vault before they once again left their home, quite possibly for the last time, to enter into the Underworld on a rescue mission to bring the man their Savior loved back from the dead.

"This is a good idea, Emma, but I think that this spell will work better coming from you now that you are no longer the Dark One," the once Evil Queen stated somberly as Emma stared down at Killian's body and reached down to take his only hand tightly within her own, tears silently falling from her eyes as she did so. "Your light magic, along with your love for him, is far stronger than mine could ever be."

"What spell are you casting?" Mary Margaret asked, her and David having gone back to their home to take care of their youngest, Neal, when Emma had discussed this part of their plan with Regina before heading to the Charming's house a few minutes later.

"I'm going to cast a preservation spell over Killian to keep his body from decaying while we're down there, for however long that we may be," the Savior answered almost emotionlessly as she gently began to stroke Hook's face with her free hand, then run her fingers through his dark hair. "Then Regina's going to cast a containment spell around her vault again in order to keep anyone from getting in, especially Gold or anyone working with him, who might try to keep me from saving Hook by trying to destroy his body."

David nodded in agreement as he replied, "I certainly wouldn't put it past Rumpelstiltskin to try to keep you from bringing him back after their duel aboard Hook's ship earlier today, not to mention after their dark history together."

Emma's mother quickly added, "Gold betrayed us all tonight and I don't doubt that he will do something to keep Killian down in the Underworld to make both of you pay. However, I do believe that it's safer that he come with us, rather than leave him here in Storybrooke to wreak havoc on those we're leaving behind."

"I agree with your parents," Regina responded, then she took her own true love's hand and looked into his eyes. "At least this way, he won't be able to use his newfound powers to break in here. Before, Gold wasn't strong enough to break inside my vault with a containment spell in place, but now, now that he has the power of every Dark One who ever lived inside of him, I believe he could and would. Bringing him with us is the better option, although I'm worried what he'll do once we're all down there. Henry, you need to stay behind here and help the fairies and dwarves take care of the town."

"No way!" the son of both the Savior and Queen objected firmly. "I mean, I know how dangerous this journey is going to be and I know that there's a good chance that we might not make it, but after everything Killian did for us, even despite his brief turn against us, after everything's he's ever done for me and Mom, our family and even you too, Mom, I have every bit as much right to fight to save him as the rest of you do. Besides, I'm no longer a child anymore and I'm not completely powerless. I am the Author after all, remember?"

Regina was about to object again until Robin interrupted her by saying, "Henry has a point. And he is much stronger and braver than even we are at times. He deserves to help us rescue Hook, Regina, and Emma."

Emma looked lovingly at her son and played with his hair, then answered, "All right. You made your case, kid. Nice job, to you as well, Robin."

"Fine, but you are to stick close to me and whatever you do, do not ever try to wander off on your own or try to be a hero once we're down there, aside from what we all have to do to go in, find Captain Guyliner, then get the hell back out and home again," the Queen finally relented, even though she still didn't believe it was a good idea to have him come along with them. "Is that understood, Henry?"

"Yes Mom," he replied smugly.

Finally, Emma took her true love's face in her hands once again as she leaned down and kissed Killian's lips tenderly, then she stood up straight and used her magic to cast the preservation spell over the body of the man she loved. After they all left the vault, Regina immediately cast her own spell.

It was then that Grumpy and Doc, as well as a few of the other dwarfs appeared after walking over from downtown, then Grumpy looked directly at Emma as he said gruffly, but sincerely, "I think that what you guys are all about to do is crazy, but if you need someone here to make sure that no one tries to break into this place to steal or set fire to Hook's body, then we're here for you, sister. Spell or no spell, we'll all stand guard."

Emma smiled sadly and patted his shoulder, then turned back to her family and friends as she looked between everyone and asked, "Are you sure you all want to come with me? I can go alone. I wouldn't think any less of you if you remained here where you'll be safe. I can't ask you all to risk your lives so soon, especially after my mistake that nearly forced you all down into the Underworld."

"Not a chance," Charming immediately responded. "I don't mean to sound as though I don't trust you, Emma. Because I do. We all do, but we finally just got you back and Henry's right. We all owe Hook for a lot. That pirate saved us all more than once, not just tonight. It's about time we all did something to repay him. After all, he was the reason why you were able to resist the darkness for so long. And he makes you happier than you've ever been, even when you were with Neal. I'll risk everything to bring that back to my daughter."

"Your father's right," Mary Margaret added. "We're in this together. It's what we Charmings and now Regina and Robin Hood do. We save the ones we love."

Emma fought back the tears as she answered, "All right, let's collect the Dark One and go find Killian."

They began walking back toward town as Henry looked over at his mother and asked, "What did you bribe Gold into helping us with?"

"Despite his vile lust for power, I believe he still really does love Belle," Emma replied sadly. "I told him that I would tell her the truth about his betrayal if he didn't help me get Killian back. The problem is, I know that I'm going to have to tell her anyway once we return and he'll fight even harder to destroy us all when I do. It would be wrong to keep her in the dark. She deserves better."

"We'll deal with one problem at a time," David responded solemnly. "Come on, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be able to return home, all of us."


	2. Chapter 2

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Two

Emma and Mr. Gold both stood on the bank of pond as she glared at him and finally spoke to him as she stated coldly, "Do it."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed as he raised the newly formed Dark One dagger, once again with his name on it, and cut a deep gash into his palm, but cupped his hand in order to prevent his blood from dripping into the pool of water as he looked back at the determined woman, then even though he already knew her answer, he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"Do it!" the Savior replied with more force than before as she continued to stare at the evil man before her, lowered her eyes to watch as he allowed his blood to drip into the pond beneath them, then watched as the portal opened and fog appeared making a path for the boatman of the Underworld to enter into Storybrooke.

"Hook, I will find you," Emma said to herself out loud as she stepped out into the bloody and murky water when Charon neared, followed closely by her family and closest friends. "I will always find you."

As they reached the cloaked figure holding the oar to the boat, he held out his cold, boney hand as he spoke up in a low, raspy voice saying, "Payment, if you truly wish to enter into the Underworld, though I wouldn't advocate your thoughtless decision, seeing as you are all still among the living. If you die there, there is no way to return. Even if you do not, I cannot guarantee safe passage back home either."

Emma looked back between Regina and Gold in confusion, ignoring the threat for the moment as she uttered, "Payment?"

"The boatman's payment in order to cross into the Underworld," Henry responded as he pulled out a single gold coin from his pocket to show his mother before the others could answer her. "Charon requires a gold coin from everyone who wishes passage. If no payment can be made, all souls are forced to spend eternity as ghosts among the living."

"Can you duplicate enough coins for each of us?" he quickly added as he turned to Regina.

She took the money in her own hands and did as her son requested, then looked at him as she asked, "Exactly where did you get a gold coin from?"

Henry smiled as he answered, "It's a trinket that I happened to pick up while I was trapped in Peter Pan's camp in Neverland. They had more than enough and I though a gold piece might come in handy one day. I didn't ever think it would be to trade for passage to Hell."

"I know what you mean, kid," Emma replied nervously as she took the now seven coins from the Queen, then handed them over to the daemon as she looked at the creature of the dead sternly. "Seven gold coins as you requested. Now, take us down. Our decision is final."

"Very well," Charon responded smugly. "But do not deny I tried to warn you when your pain and torment begins."

As the boatman and his passengers descended downward through the bloody river into Hell, both Emma and Regina wrapped their arms around their son to comfort him as a coldness swept over them all when Storybrooke disappeared and the darkness of the Underworld appeared all around them. David placed his hand down on his daughter's shoulder while he wrapped his free arm around his wife in a firm embrace, while Robin held Regina. Rumpelstiltskin simply turned his back to them, wanting nothing to do with any of these heroes' love they shared for one another.

After a few minutes, Regina broke the silence that had fallen over them all as she looked down at her son as she asked, "So Henry, you seemed to have learned a lot about Charon in your studies. Did you happen to learn anything at all about Hades that might be able to help us? I could ask Mr. Gold or the boatman over there, but it's not like I feel exactly comfortable with trusting either one of them at the moment."

Emma said mockingly, "I'm guessing he isn't a bald, blue skinned God with blue flames for hair that can easily be blown out like he appears in the Disney movie?"

"I don't think so," the youngest member of their expedition answered. "For all we know, he could look like any one of us, or he could be a giant. As for who he is, according to the books I've read on Greek Mythology, he's the brother of both Zeus and Poseidon. The three Gods drew lots in order to figure out who would rule each part of the universe. Hades drew poorly and he was forced to become ruler of the Underworld, which history shows he always resented and hated his brothers, as well as the rest of the Gods. He split the Underworld into three, parts, for lack of a better word. The souls who were good in life were granted passage into the Elysian Fields, or Heaven, while those who were evil were sentenced to an eternity of torment and damnation, in God knows where."

"And what about the souls whom he might consider only so, so?" Robin asked nervously, wondering what this so called God might think of a former thief if he were to die down here.

Henry looked at the man who loved his second mother as he replied, "No one knows. He might ask them questions in some form of judgement and if he likes their answers he sends them to the paradise and those he doesn't like the answers from…"

Emma finished for him, "Hell and damnation, right. I can only imagine he would love all of us."

"Quite so, Miss. Swan," Mr. Gold stated as he finally talked. "I think that we all know which part we shall find your bastard pirate in."

"Watch your mouth!" Emma responded angrily as she glared at the Dark One when he spoke cruelly of the man she loved. "I will not allow you to soil his memory. Killian sacrificed his life to save your life too in case you don't recall, not to mention has made it possible for you to regain your power after all. If you won't help us to save him out of whatever love you might actually have for Belle, then at least do it to say thank you."

Gold remained stoic as he answered, "I never did conceal my hatred for Hook from you before, dearie, and so I shall not begin to do so now just because he did one good deed before he died."

David stood between his daughter and the monster as she stepped forward in attempt to strike out at him, then he turned to Rumpelstiltskin and spoke again saying, "I don't care about your reasons for really coming down with us, but if you do anything to get in the way of us saving Hook, we will stop you."

"And how would you do that?" the Dark One asked the Prince smugly.

"We will find a way," Mary Margaret said for her husband. "Good will always win over evil. You know that better than anyone."


	3. Chapter 3

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Three

After what felt like an eternity to the royals, the thief, and the Dark One, Charon guided his boat into a large, dimly lit cavern made of rocks and stones and finally came to a stop as the daemon pulled up to a long dock that led to the land before them. The light came from fire lit torches along the walls and upon closer inspection, everyone could see that they were splattered with blood. It was a frightening sight that made Emma tighten her grip on her son, not simply for his comfort, but for her own as well.

"We're here," Mr. Gold stated smugly, even though he too didn't want to be down in the Underworld any more than the others did, especially after already having been there once and knowing what kind of sacrifice it took to bring him back. "Both the boatman and I did try to warn you. I shall give you all one word of advice. If you do find Hook, know that you will also have to find Hades and strike a deal with the God if you are to have any chance of reviving, lover boy."

"Do you have any idea where we can find this God?" Emma asked coldly as she glanced back at the evil man now standing at the edge of the dock after the rest of them got out of the boat. "Can you take us to him?"

Gold smiled and then responded, "Perhaps, but why would I want to? I fulfilled our agreement. You wanted me to get you here so you can save my greatest enemy and I have. Find Hades yourself, dearies. And good luck."

The sorcerer suddenly vanished, leaving the rest of the travelers alone to fend for themselves, as Emma cried out angrily, "No! Rumpelstiltskin, you traitor!"

"Take it easy, Emma," David quickly said in order to try to calm her down. "Shouting at him isn't going to do you any good and I don't think it'll do us any good either. We need to remain levelheaded while we're here."

"Besides, he may be the Dark One again, but I don't think that even with his newfound powers he'll be able to just whisk himself back home," Snow added as she gripped her daughter's hand. "He'll have to make a deal with Hades."

The Savior looked between her parents as she answered, "Yes, but what if he manages to find Killian before we can and hides him someplace we'll never find him, or worse… he finds Hades and makes a deal to trap us all here?"

Regina looked worried, but without dwelling on it, she turned to her closest friend and replied, "We'll deal with Gold later when the times comes. Did you bring it?"

"Bring what?" Robin asked as he looked between Regina and Emma, who reached into the inside pocket of her leather coat she wore.

"The object that gave our pirate his most famous moniker," Regina responded with a smile as Emma pulled out Killian's hook. "We can use this thing, not only so we can find him, but we can also use it so that anyone who's holding it, will be able to physically grasp onto Hook, seeing as he's no more than a ghost."

The Queen took the hook in her hands and cast the locator spell on it, then Emma took it back and concentrated hard as she thought about the man she loved while her hands began to glow and the second spell was cast. She nodded at Regina, then looked between everyone and took the lead as they all began to walk inward to begin their search.

It wasn't long before they were first interrupted when a swarm of black, winged creatures with red, glowing eyes belonging to the Underworld flew toward them in an attack as Emma cried out, "What the hell are those things? Look out!"

Everyone ran and took cover among the walls as the beasts first flew past, then both Emma and Regina moved out and charged their magic, prepared to fight against them, while David immediately pulled his sword from his scabbard and Robin readied his bow to stand with the women.

Regina made the first blast of her power as one of them charged at her with its long claws ready to strike the Queen down where she stood and as her magic hit the creature, the beast exploded into a burst of fire, just as Zelena's flying monkeys had in Storybrooke during their attacks. Emma cut down two more with her own power, while Robin brought down one with an arrow through its chest and David ran another through with his blade as the beast tried to attack his wife. However, as each one of these creatures were killed, two more would reappear to take their place, making the swarm even bigger than before.

One of them came up from behind David as he cut off the head of another creature trying to attack Robin and dug its claws across the Prince's chest causing him to cry out and drop to his knees as Mary Margaret cried out, "Charming!"

"Moms, use your light magic to make them dissipate!" Henry shouted from his cover against one of the cave's walls. "Killing them will only make them grow faster! You can do this!"

"Regina, now!" Emma called out as she raised her hands high in the air and let off an immense burst of power, followed immediately by the Queen as she too set off her own magic before another of the beasts could kill Snow. "Hold it!"

Henry's solution worked as every one of the winged creatures dissolved and this time didn't return after they were defeated. Once they were clear, Emma quickly ran over to her parents to help her father, as did Henry, while Robin walked over to help Regina up off the ground after she collapsed, having overexerted her power to stop the beasts.

Mary Margaret took her husband's face into her hands as she looked into his eyes and asked worryingly, "Are you alright? How bad is it?"

Emma looked at the deep gash the creature's claw left behind and concentrated on trying to heal it, then when she was done, she looked between her mom and dad as she whispered fearfully, "I'm so sorry. I never should have dragged any of you down here with me. This is all my fault. Dad getting hurt, Gold becoming the Dark One all over again, and Killian…"

"No Emma," Snow answered sincerely as she took her daughter's hand in her own. "You can't blame yourself, not for any of it. Evil is what's done this to us; those things just now, the darkness that used to be inside of you and Hook, and Rumpelstiltskin who betrayed us all again, but it was never you."

"Your mother's right," David continued as he stood with Mary Margaret's and Emma's help. "And we came here with you, not only because we owe it to Hook for saving us all, but because it would be wrong of us to refuse after everything your mother and I have done to save one another since we first met. We have always done whatever it takes for our family and now we're only too happy to help you so that you can be with your true love too."

Regina spoke up again as she added, "And we came because it's the right thing to do. Hook did after all save me and Robin too. Besides, I still owe him for all of the terrible things I forced him to do way back when, such as forcing him to kill his own father. I never did apologize to him."

Robin nodded and then asked, "What exactly were those things?"

"Furies I believe," Regina replied. "I've only heard stories about these magical creatures, but I didn't know they actually existed. It appears they're the Lord of the Underworld's pets. We were lucky this time, but I have a feeling that we'll be seeing them again."

"You can be certain," a man spoke up from behind them, causing everyone to whirl around, ready to fight whoever appeared to attack them next.

Mary Margaret looked at the man nervously as she asked, "Who are you?"

Emma stared at the man as if she recognized him somehow until it donned on her who he was as she gripped the ring hanging on the chain around her neck tightly and stated, "Liam?"


	4. Chapter 4

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Four

Killian sat on the cold, hard ground on his knees while his upper body was wrapped in chains that seemed to zap any strength he had left in his body, or spirit, or whatever it was he was now that he was dead, his arms stretched out tightly and restrained to the stone pillars at his sides. His head hung down on his chest and he couldn't move. All he could feel was an unbearable amount of pain after what felt to him was endless torment being inflicted upon him by Hades himself, though not physical, but torture of the mind.

Once the three witches had left wherever it was he was being held, the Lord of the Underworld bound him, then reached his hands out as he placed them gently upon the sides of his head until the grip tightened and dark memories suddenly flooded into Killian's mind, memories of all the pain Killian caused those he had ever come across in his long life while a pirate. Then worse, memories of the horrible things he had said and done while he had been the Dark One, especially of how he had hurt the woman he loved so deeply with his cruel words.

When Hades finally let up and released his grasp, the God knelt down before Killian once again as he looked at his newest soul with pity and said softly, "You have done so many horrible things in your lifetime, Captain. So many acts of evil and have sent so many of my kept souls, including your own father to me. I should thank you."

Tears slipped down from his eyes as Killian answered weakly, "I know… know of what I've done. No one regrets my actions more than I."

"And yet you don't try to justify your sins by bringing up all the good you pretended to do after you met Miss. Swan," the God continued cruelly as he lifted the pirate's head to force the man to look at him by taking his chin his hand. "You tried Killian, but you failed, again and again. One final act of nobility cannot not keep you from eternal damnation and you shall be one of my favorites."

"Actually, perhaps I just might have a better idea for this man, my friend," someone from behind the God spoke smugly as the being suddenly materialized from out of nowhere, someone who's voice Killian recognized even more so than even Emma's. "Forgive the intrusion, Hades, but might I speak with you?"

The God laughed upon seeing Rumpelstiltskin in his Dark One form once again standing before him, then embraced the man joyfully and shook his hand as he responded, "Of course, man! What the devil are you doing back down here? I wasn't informed that you were… But you're still alive and very well off it seems. I can see and sense that your powers are stronger than ever before. How is it that you have you come to return?"

Rumple smiled as he moved around the God to observe his enemy's torment for a few moments before replying, "It's an old, timeless tale of love and one woman's search for her own happy ending. Emma Swan and her cursed family and friends have come down to the Underworld in hope of rescuing this vile man whom I have finally rid my world of once and for all. The Savior left me no choice, but to help her get here. However, we both know that we cannot allow Swan to succeed in bringing him back."

"I agree, I have enjoyed my time with, Captain Hook, immensely and I do not wish to give him up," Hades answered, then took a minute to think. "I shall send some of my minions to find them, to destroy them."

"They will try, but ultimately your beasts and putrid souls will all fail," Gold responded with frustration as he knelt down before Hook and yanked his head back sharply by grabbing hold of his hair in order to help the pirate look at his face, feeling an immense satisfaction upon seeing tears in his eyes and running across his cheeks. "Take it from someone who's had plenty of experience in trying to defeat them all. We must come up with something better and I think I know just what to do. Enjoying your new accommodations, dearie? How does it feel, Captain, to finally be dead at last? Does it pain you to know that the woman you love has dragged her family and others down here in Hell to come and save you, when there is no way they shall succeed, when all they will succeed in doing is die?"

Killian tried to muster up as much strength as he could as he looked into is enemy's eyes while fighting through his pain and replied sternly, "You said it yourself, Croc… Crocodile. She is a survivor. I hold no hope… that her foolish endeavors to rescue me… will prevail. I accept my fate, but you will not… defeat her either. Emma Swan is far stronger… than you… will ever be."

The strongest of Dark Ones to have ever lived chortled and then answered, "My, my, you are a brave man, or a foolish one, but you have always underestimated how far I am willing to go to get what I want. Hades, I propose that we send, him, to kill the Savior. Only Hook will be able to get close enough to be able to do so and what a perfect way to sever their true love once and for all."

"I will never…" Killian tried to protest until Hades immediately cut him off by using his powers to choke him as if he was being strangled.

"You say you accept your fate, Killian Jones, but I wonder if you can really resist, a chance to live again in the world above, a chance to end your torment here and now," the Lord of the Underworld responded gleefully and cruelly. "I will send you back to the land of the living, where you will be free to have a brand new life with no memories of your life in Storybrooke, no memories of your love for the Savior, and no memories of your many, many sins. I will grant you this one chance to be smart, but only if you will get close to the woman you love and kill her, along with as many of her family and friends as possible. What do you say?"

When the God released his hold on his throat, Hook's head dropped back down to his chest as he replied faintly, "Ne… never."

Rumpelstiltskin put his hand to his ear as he asked mockingly, "What was that, dearie? I didn't quite hear you."

"I will never hurt Emma or the others again," Killian said with more vigor until he let go and collapsed as far down to the floor as the chains surrounding him would allow him to, remaining barely conscious as he was too weak to fight any longer.

"Very well, you have refused my deal, Captain, and so now you will suffer an eternity even greater than the worst of the worst souls I have collected here for your insolence," Hades spoke angrily as he once again grasped Hook's head within his hands, his hands emitting a strange, blue fire as he released his power, causing Killian to scream in agony while the God continued to speak loudly over his cries with venom in his voice. "You will not remember my friend and your enemy was ever here, nor will you remember that the woman you love has come for you. You will feel the utter anguish of your sins as they rip you to shreds over and over and never die, because death has already come for you. Suffer well, Killian. I will be by later to see you again and maybe then, I will give some of your other enemies you sent down here a chance to repay you for their own suffering. Rumpelstiltskin, shall we go catch up on old times? I believe we have much to discuss."

Meanwhile…

The moment that Emma had mentioned the name, Regina looked over at her friend in surprise as she asked, "Who's Liam? Emma, do you know this man?"

The Savior continued to stare as she slowly began to walk toward him until her father worryingly called out, "Emma, be careful!"

"I don't actually know him, but that is who you are, isn't it?" she inquired as she stood directly in front of him. "Liam Jones?"

"That's right," the stranger answered as he smiled at her, though not cruelly or smugly. "I know who you are, but I'll admit I'm surprised that you know me, Emma Swan."

Both David and Mary Margaret stepped forward to stand with their daughter as Snow asked again, "Jones, as in Killian Jones? Are you Hook's brother?"

Liam laughed and then responded, "I never did like that moniker for him, nor any of the others you've all taken to calling him. But yes, I'm Killian's older brother. I truly wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"How is it that you know about his monikers or even know who I am?" Emma questioned again darkly, recognizing that something was off about him. "You died before Killian became a pirate well over three hundred years ago. Or is it that you're not really him?"

"Oh, I'm him all right, but you'll find that centuries down in Hell changes a man," he replied bitterly as he pulled a sword from his side and pointed it at Emma until David immediately pulled her and his wife behind him while pulling out his own blade once again. "I was sent here after I died because my brother failed to convince me of my foolishness in serving the wrong kind of King and I died because he tricked me into slicing my own arm with dream shade. I have suffered and have been tortured for centuries because my brother has found a way to cheat death over and over!"

Emma glared at him angrily as her father fought him until David was knocked down to the ground, but before Liam could strike him down, Emma swiftly blasted the man back and away from the Prince as she answered angrily, "You're lying! Killian never tricked you into doing anything. He tried to warn you not to do what you did. Or at least, he tried to stop his real brother. You're not him. What the hell are you?"

Liam looked at her smugly from the spot where he was now lying on the ground as he responded, "I'm your lover's older brother."

"Wrong, because the real Liam would never hate Killian like you do," she replied more forcefully. "The way he spoke of his brother, they both loved each other very much and there was nothing, nothing that would have ever changed that. Hook didn't betray him and Liam would never betray his brother either, at any price. So again, what or who are you really?"

"Very good, Emma, the latest and former Dark One," the man answered as he stood and then transformed into Nimue, the very first of one of the heroes' greatest enemies whom the darkness had corrupted. "Congratulations on defeating us after all. It's a real shame that your handsome pirate had to lose his life and end up down here with the rest of us. I can assure you, we will make him suffer severely for his betrayal and vanquishment. His torment's already begun. He screamed so loudly and he begged for it to stop. It won't take much for us to break him. Oh, and just so you know, time here in the Underworld is irrelevant, so we can make him feel as though he's been trapped down here for as long as he managed to stay alive in the world above if we wish to. In fact, I think we will. I'll be seeing you again soon, Emma, and your one true love, even sooner."

Tears were falling down her face as Emma watched in fear when the ghost of Nimue vanished and she screamed, "No!"

Henry reached out to touch his mother's shoulder as he moved around her to look into her eyes and said sadly, "You can't let Nimue or any other daemon, or God in this place get to you, no matter what they say. They are trying to hurt you so that they can destroy you and if you die, then Killian's sacrifice will have been for nothing. We need you, Mom. I need you. We will find him. I'm sure of it."

"Henry's right," Regina responded before David or Mary Margaret could add anymore to yet another Charming hope speech that she hated so much, even if it was her son who gave it this time. "I know how difficult this is for you, Emma, but we really need your head in the game."

"I know," the Savior replied emotionlessly as she pushed onward, not caring to look back to make sure that her family and friends were following after her. "I'll be fine."


	5. Chapter 5

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Five

In Storybrooke…

On the morning after their friends and heads of the town left to enter into the Underworld, everything was quiet and somber, as most of the townsfolk couldn't understand why the heroes had left to go on such a dangerous mission, especially to bring back a man who nearly destroyed them all.

Very few people really knew the whole story of how Hook had sacrificed his life to make things right. They all knew that the pirate was dead, but everything else was left up to their imaginations as to what really happened down at the pond, seeing as everyone who was actually there with him were no longer in Storybrooke to help explain the truth.

Archie Hopper sat at the bar in front of Granny inside her diner as she was serving a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee to the town's psychologist and former cricket back in the Enchanted Forest, while he finished writing a couple of notes inside a small notebook, then carefully put the book back inside his coat's pocket. As the old woman, yet worthy fighter if need be, placed the plate and cup down in front of him, Archie smiled and nodded his thanks before taking his first bite.

She noticed the look of worry on his face as she spoke up saying, "I realize that we're all pretty much feeling the same way this morning, Jiminy, but perhaps you would like to talk about what's on your conscience, seeing as we all usually come to you for comfort and advice."

He smiled again and then replied, "Thanks, but I'm just sad, for Emma I mean. And for Killian as well. We may not know the whole story, but I know he died protecting Miss. Swan and the rest of us. It never should have come to that."

"No it shouldn't have," Granny answered in agreement. "If you ask me, I'm getting awfully tired of this town being under siege and of losing people we all care about. The next time I see that witch, Zelena, I'll…"

"Did you not hear?" he asked quickly. "Regina managed to send Zelena back to Oz where she belongs. She's gone, hopefully this time for good."

Granny clanked her own cup against his in toast of the good news, then responded, "Well thank heavens for that. Let's just hope that our friends all return in one piece and just maybe this tragedy will have a happy ending after all."

It was then that the seven dwarfs all walked through the door and made their way over to the counter as Grumpy immediately stated, "We need seven pints of ale, Granny. We're celebrating Dopey's return. After the Dark Ones were all defeated, the tree he became disappeared and he transformed back into a man. We figured we owe him a few drinks after we all kind of pushed him over the town line to see what would happen if we crossed."

"This is a diner, not a bar!" Granny replied coolly as she pulled up seven steins onto the counter, then began to pour the ale she kept for special occasions anyway. "And why aren't you lot out at Regina's vault guarding over it like you promised?"

"Don't worry, the fairies are all taking a turn keeping watch," Grumpy answered again as he raised his mug for his own toast to his brothers. "Tinker Bell's taken charge and so far, no one's tried breaking in. I think Hook's body is perfectly safe."

Granny scolded the dwarf as she questioned, "How many times do you boys have to be reminded never to underestimate Rumpelstiltskin? Even with the darkness no longer inside of him, he still betrayed us all and both Emma and Hook paid the price for it!"

Archie looked between the woman and the little men as he responded, "I hate to agree because I try to see the good in everyone, including Mr. Gold, for Belle's sake, but I'm afraid Granny's right this time. Gold has betrayed us all again, for the last time."

"How can you say this?" Belle asked angrily upon overhearing only Archie's last words as she appeared in the hallway, having come into the diner through the back entrance. "You of all people, Archie? I trusted you, all of you, and each of you are in here trying to condemn my husband, after all he's been through with Hook nearly killing him. I am sorry that he died, I really am, but the pirate is the one who betrayed us all in the end, not Rumple."

"Hook made up for his mistake, sister," Grumpy replied remorsefully as he looked over at the young woman. "Now, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but Hook willingly died knowing full well where he was headed to protect us all, including Gold. He was led to believe that by his sacrifice, he would end the darkness for good, but your loving husband tricked him and now he's dead and Rumpelstiltskin is once again the Dark One. How do you think they were all able to enter into the Underworld?"

Tears came to her eyes as she looked between all those around the counter, seeing that everyone believed in what the dwarf was saying, then she answered, "You're wrong. He was able to open the portal because he had been to the Underworld before, back when he died to save us from Peter Pan. Rumple is finally free of the darkness and he became a hero when he saved me from Merida after Emma sent her after me. He wouldn't betray me again after everything. I trust him. Shame on you, all of you!"

Archie stood from his stool and straightened his jacket as he said calmly, "I'm afraid we all made a big mistake talking about this so out in the open. I'm going to go talk with her, not only to apologize, but also to try to help her to understand. I will see you all later."

"Goodbye, Jiminy!" Doc called out after him as their friend walked out.

"I suppose our celebration's been cut short," Happy spoke sadly. "We should head back to the vault to check in on the fairies."

Grumpy nodded and responded, "If anything, guarding the crypt for the Savior will give us something to do for awhile to help keep our minds off of all this gloom and doom that's fallen over our town. Thanks, Granny."

Outside of Regina's vault…

Mother Superior walked the grounds as she arrived at the crypt and came upon Tinker Bell, who flew down as close to the vault as she could get before the spell around it could push her back and knelt on the ground before it while she laid a small bouquet of flowers in front of her, then bowed her head in lament.

After giving her a few moments of silence, the Blue Fairy stated quietly, "Good morning, Green. I understand from another of the fairies that you've taken charge here. I wanted to come to see you, to see if you might want to talk."

"I'm all right," Tinker Bell replied without standing, though she turned her head to look over at her leader. "I am simply paying my respects to Hook the only way that I can. I've been away for awhile, but when I heard that he had died, I realized that I should return. Storybrooke wasn't initially my home, but it is now and it's thanks to the Captain that I'm here. He turned out to be a better man than I initially believed him to be and I don't think that I ever told him, not really. He didn't deserve to die this way. I owe it to him to make sure that Emma and the others will have a body to return his soul to if they succeed in rescuing him. I won't let anyone break in here."

"That is very kind of you," Blue answered as she helped her sister to stand. "Are the others still around?"

The younger fairy nodded and responded, "Yes. They are walking through the woods close by to make sure that there's no one lurking about. They'll be back shortly. I thought I would take this quiet time to do what I needed to do."

Mother Superior nodded and said sadly, "I have to admit I have had a hard time with forgiving him after he trapped us all inside the sorcerer's hat, even though he wasn't really to blame. I never did apologize to him and now he has given his life for this entire town. You aren't the only one who feels badly for not believing in his heroism until now. If you don't mind the company, I wish to join you. When everyone returns, hopefully with Killian too, perhaps everything will finally be the way our kingdom truly should be."


	6. Chapter 6

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Six

While they all continued to walk through what seemed like endless tunnels along the banks of the river that flowed slowly throughout the Underworld, the walls appearing to take on different forms as they passed through each cavern, the Savior's family and friends grew more and concerned for Emma as she remained silent ever since the attacks. It was clear that Emma had fallen into the back of her mind and had become lost deep within her thoughts, thoughts about him.

 _Emma looked over at the pirate she had grown fond of in confusion as he stepped forward with his back to her and asked nervously, "Hook, what's wrong? You gave Ursula everything she wanted."_

 _He turned his head to the side, but didn't completely turn around to face her until part way through as he responded broodingly, "But I almost didn't, love. I was so desperate to figure out what the Crocodile was up to, I almost became the man I used to be. You have no idea how easy it is to fall back into the darkness."_

 _"Whatever mistakes you made with Ursula, you fixed," she replied as she moved close to him and looked into his eyes and he into hers._

 _"Aye, but it's a stark reminder of something," he continued, his fear becoming darker the more he spoke as he continued to look at her._

 _Still confused as to what he was trying to say, she simply asked, "What?"_

 _He answered despondently, "With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact... I was a villain."_

 _"But you're not anymore," the Savior responded as she finally understood what had him so worried._

 _"Neither is Regina, but she still lost her happy ending," he immediately continued as she lowered her head trying to let his words sink in. "If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine."_

 _Upon his last words, she quickly looked up at him in surprise as she asked again, "Wait, if you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it?"_

 _Killian looked into her eyes again with sadness as he questioned her softly, "Don't you know, Emma? It's you."_

Just as Emma remembered the moment that she leaned in to kiss him, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, when a few feet ahead of her, she suddenly saw a figure standing with his back to her, and seeing the familiar long leather coat and the light from the torches bouncing off of the silver metal in place of his left hand, she suddenly ran toward him as fast as her feet could take her as she cried out, "Killian!"

"Emma, what are you doing?" her mother called out after her in fear.

The moment she reached the man she loved, he faded away and the Savior quickly realized that he was actually never there. It was only a cruel trick of this wretched place they were all trapped in because of her and it made her angry, so angry that she couldn't stop herself from slamming her fist into the stone wall beside her.

"Are you alright?" her mother asked worryingly when her parents came to her side as David ripped the bottom of his shirt and tied the strip of cloth around her hand to bind it. "What happened?"

"I saw him," their daughter replied in frustration. "I mean… I thought I saw him. He was standing right here, until he wasn't. This place is messing with my mind. How could I be stupid enough to believe for a second that finding him would be so simple?"

When Snow and Charming pulled Emma into their arms to try to comfort her, Regina stepped forward as she said grimly, "That's what Hell does. The evil that's down here, it has the power to make a person crazy. And if we're not careful and fight to hold onto the reason why we've all come, then we won't survive."

No one spoke for a few minutes as they continued walking again until Mary Margaret took her daughter's hand in her own as they stepped ahead to walk side by side, then the Princess stated quietly, "You've been lost in your thoughts. Do you want to talk about it? It might help a little?"

"I don't really know where to start," Emma answered sadly as a single tear fell down her cheek from the corner of her eye. "I was thinking about how after we saved August from Rumpelstiltskin, Cruella, and the others, and when Killian had reunited Ursula with her father, I remember seeing fear on his face. It was the first time I think I ever really saw him afraid. When I asked him what was troubling him… He told me that I was his happy ending, that he was afraid of losing me because he was once a villain. It was in that moment I knew that I loved him and I don't mean in the way that I loved Neal, but had truly and deeply fallen in love with him. And it was in the moment that I thought about that, when I saw his phantom. I just want him back so badly, to have him hold me… Oh God!"

"You're going to have all that back, baby," Snow responded and squeezed her hand tightly as her daughter broke down while they continued walking, then Charming moved up to walk with them at Emma's other side to help strengthen his wife's comfort for her. "We will find him, just so long as you don't give up."

In another part of the Underworld…

Down in the bottom of a deep crevasse within the void where he was being held, Hook found he was once again laying unbound upon the cold, hard ground as he slowly opened his eyes and immediately felt the terror from the horrible flashes forced into his mind by Hades and the intense pain that came along with the memories. He couldn't move.

All of the sensations he was feeling, including his pain, were strange to him. He was dead, he understood that much, but he could feel the God's fire hot hands on his face as Hades grabbed hold of his head before. He could feel the coldness of the ground beneath him and he could feel the chains that had previously bound him as they dug deep into his skin, or spirit as though he were still alive. If he were, he knew that his body would be bleeding and broken. But the worst of it all was that he knew none of it was ever going to end.

Killian tried to force all that to the back of his mind as he struggled to focus on simply trying to sit up and leaned back heavily against the wall. It was still dark, but in this part of Hell there was at least a beam of light coming down from somewhere above like in the first place he first woke up in. Though he longed for the light, Hook remained inside the darkness out of fear of what might happen should he try to make himself a bit more comfortable, no matter how small that comfort might be to him.

Within a few minutes after he awoke, a small voice called out from the darkness asking timidly, "Killian, is that you?"

Hook backed further against the wall as far as he could, though he tried to appear more like his old self he replied weakly, "That depends… on who you might be, love. You'll forgive me… if I don't… stand. I'm not quite feel… feeling myself… at the moment."

"It is you," the woman answered as she slowly stepped into the light so the pirate could see her, then observed him as he stared up at her in shock and fear.

"Milah, but how… why are you…?" Killian stuttered as she took a few steps forward, then knelt down before him and shushed him as she reached out her hand to gently caress his face.

She leaned in closer and began to kiss him, the longer her lips remained on his, the deeper her kiss became until Killian suddenly turned his head away and whispered, "I can't..."

Milah looked at him in confusion as she asked, "What's wrong? I thought that after all these years, after centuries, you would want to see me."

"It's not that, love," he responded wearily as his head fell back against the wall, then he took her hand in his own. "It's just, I've come to… love another. I had to… to let you go… to free myself from the vil… villain I had become. I may be dead… but I will forever love her. I'm so sorry."

"That's it?" she asked angrily as she stood up and glared down at him. "You're sorry, after everything that we went through together, after all I gave up for you, this is how you repay me? By falling in love with yet another woman? I left my son behind with my husband! Why is it you think I've been trapped in Purgatory for all these centuries? Because I yearned for you?"

Killian struggled to use the wall behind him to help him to stand too, though without success, having no choice, but to give up as he replied with remorse, "I did love you, truly Milah, but… after you died, after the Dark One… killed you, my life… changed. I lust for revenge on that monster, for so long. Then, someone… entered my life and… made me a bet… better man, a good man."

His former lover knelt down before him again as she looked at him with hate and answered cruelly, "If you are such a better man than you were when you were with me, then exactly why is it that you're now stuck here in the Underworld and have become one of Hades' favorite playthings? I'll admit, I heard rumors that you finally arrived here after all these years. I had to come to see for myself if the rumors were true and it turns out that they are. If you still had a heart that beat in your chest, I would tear it out just as Rumpelstiltskin did mine, but I suppose I will just have to settle for something else instead."

"Here, perhaps this might help," Hades responded when he suddenly appeared at Milah's side with a scorching branding iron in his hand, the letters of his name carved out of the metal, and handed it to the woman with a cruel smile on his face. "What can I say, I'm a big fan of myself. If you take a look at this pirate's right arm, you'll find he has a tattoo of a heart being pierced by a dagger with your name on it, his way of honoring your death. Burn it off. He'll feel the pain you want him to feel, oh so badly and in doing so, I will also grant you a brief passage into the Elysian Fields to see your son, Baelfire. Perhaps you might even be able to gain your closure after all and a chance to stay with him for the rest of eternity. I'm the God of the Underworld. I can do whatever the hell I want."

"I'm grateful for your deal," she replied coldly as she glared at the God until she turned back to the man she once loved and did just as Hades demanded by branding Killian's arm until the tattoo burned away, causing Hook to cry out, though not nearly as loudly as he had from his earlier torture session, as he struggled to stifle his pain. "But I really don't need your generosity to convince me to hurt him."

When she was finished, and Killian had collapsed back down to the ground upon his back as he pulled his arm close to his chest, without looking back, Milah walked past Hades, as well as Rumpelstiltskin who had come in time to watch this turn of events with sheer pleasure, she handed the God the iron back and disappeared from the void as Hook tried calling out for her, only to no avail. Once she was gone, Killian allowed his head to fall back roughly against the floor as the agony of his loss of Milah once again brought back all the anger and hate he held inside for the Dark One, only this time he placed it all upon himself. And when Emma suddenly appeared before him as she knelt down and gently began to caress his face as Milah had, it destroyed what little fight he had left.

Hades looked at Rumpelstiltskin asking smugly, "So, did you enjoy the show? I know I certainly did. There's plenty more ahead. And she's just arrived."

Gold smiled as he answered gleefully, "Immeasurably. I do wish I could stay to see what you have in store for my enemy next, but alas… I'm afraid I have things to do that include devising a plan to try to kill your unwanted visitors, as well as finding a way to return to my beloved up top, without having to pay your price of course. Tell me, do you suppose I could borrow your pet Cerberus for a bit? I think that he will do quite nicely, or at least enough to perhaps take one of those blasted heroes down. What do you say?"


	7. Chapter 7

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Seven

Meanwhile…

One of the dwarfs was walking alone from town toward Regina's vault so that he could relieve the others standing guard. However, before he could arrive, the little man was suddenly attacked from behind and swiftly rendered him unconscious by shoving a cloth drenched in chloroform over his nose and mouth. As soon as the dwarf fell to the ground, his attacker pulled a small vile from inside his coat pocket, held it up to his mouth, and then drank the green liquid inside as it transformed him into the man at his feet.

The imposter cautiously made his way to the Queen's vault where he ran into both Dopey and Leroy as he glared at who he believed was Sleepy and asked angrily, "And where have you been? You were supposed to relieve us an hour ago. You didn't fall asleep again, did you?"

Sleepy answered nervously, "I'm sorry, but I'm here now. You're free to take off."

"Dopey's right," the grumpy dwarf stated in confusion before they left their friend alone, when the one who couldn't speak suddenly grabbed Leroy's arm and waved his arms wildly to try to say something that only a few of the dwarfs could really understand. "Wasn't Sneezy supposed to be here with you, Sleepy? Where is he?"

"He uh… he had to go deliver a package to Belle," the imposter replied, even more nervously than before. "Something for Gold I think. Don't worry, he'll be here soon. Go on back. I'll be fine here alone for a few minutes."

Grumpy growled, "Fine, but whatever you do, don't fall asleep again or we won't trust you with anything for awhile."

Sleepy nodded as he responded, "You can count on me."

Once they had disappeared from sight, the man in disguise walked over to stand directly in front of the vault's entrance, then worryingly pulled out another small vile and drank the liquid inside of it as well. When he didn't feel any different, the imposter took a few steps back, afraid to risk doing what he had been instructed to do, until he remembered what was at stake if he refused, so he mustered up as much courage as he could and rushed forward, easily being able to pass through the magical barrier that the Evil Queen had put up before she and the others had departed for the Underworld.

As soon as he realized he was actually inside, the man looked around him in surprise, then quickly checked himself to make sure he was really okay, which was when he discovered that he no longer appeared as the dwarf, but as himself again; William Smee. He let out a small chuckle in relief and then walked deeper into the vault to finally get what he come to do over with as soon as he could.

At the edge of town…

Grumpy and Dopey were almost at the docks down by the harbor when they ran into Sneezy who was on his way to the vault. Before either of the dwarfs could say anything, Sneezy fell into a sneezing fit, while Leroy waited impatiently for it to end so that he could scold his friend for being late.

"Are you finished then?" he asked in frustration as Sneezy just looked at them sheepishly. "Good, now why are you so late? You were supposed to meet us at the vault fifteen minutes ago. Sleepy's already there. He said that you had to go deliver some kind of package for Belle?"

"I didn't tell him that?" their friend answered quizzically. "I told him I would meet him there because I had to finish helping Granny clean the dishes at the diner."

Leroy looked between his friends, sensing that something was wrong, then replied, "I don't get it. Why would Sleepy get something like that mixed up unless…?"

Dopey frantically wiggled his fingers and hands around again as Sneezy interpreted for him as he responded, "Unless it wasn't really Sleepy you were talking to and whoever it was, was up to no good?"

"Which means… We need to get back to the vault again right now!" Grumpy shouted as he immediately took off while calling back to Dopey, telling him to go into town to get help.

As the two dwarfs were running back toward the vault again, Tinker Bell was flying above the woods nearby, keeping her eyes down below while trying to enjoy the peace and quiet until she saw them in a panic and immediately knew that her peace and quiet had just ended. She quickly flew down to find out what was wrong.

"Are you two alright?" she asked worryingly as she flew down beside them. "What happened?"

Grumpy answered quickly, "We think something's up with Sleepy and we just left him outside of the vault. It could be one of Rumpelstiltskin's tricks to get us to leave Hook's body unguarded."

Tink looked confused as she replied, "But even if you're right, Sleepy or whoever is really there won't be able to get inside, not unless Gold gave him something to help him to get in. I'll meet you there. Hurry!"

Inside the vault…

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this, Captain," Smee said nervously as he looked down upon his old friend's body inside the stone crypt before him while he pulled out a magical lighter Gold had given him and then clicked it in order to ignite the flame. "But he really left me no choice."

"No!" Tinker Bell cried out fearfully as she suddenly appeared in the entryway and swiftly fired a gust of wind to put out the flame and knock the lighter across the room the moment the fat man in the red knit cap tried to drop it to burn Hook's body. "What do you think you are doing? He was your Captain, and your friend!"

Smee looked around for another way out to run, but found that the only exit was being blocked by the Green Fairy, as well as two dwarfs who by now had arrived to join her, then he looked between them and stuttered, "I… I didn't… I didn't have a choice, not really. Before he left town, he came to me with a proposition. I couldn't refuse him."

Grumpy glared at the pirate angrily as he asked, "Who did, you mean Gold? That snake is a villain through and through and he's always had it out for Hook. Exactly what did he threaten you with that would make you agree to destroy your friend's only chance to live again? Was it money?"

"No of course not, it's just… He threatened to turn me back into a rat so he could stomp on me if I didn't do this," the first mate finally admitted in response. "The man's the Dark One again. We all know what he's capable of. I didn't want to die. Besides, Hook betrayed me and the rest of our crew. He lied to us, claiming that he had no memory of what happened to us or our ship during the year that we all lost our memories after being transported back home to the Enchanted Forest. But it turns out, the Captain really just ditched us all in some cursed country so he could sail alone in order to outrun the second curse that came afterward. And all for some woman claiming to be a Savior. He fell under whatever wretched spell she put him under and never tried to fight against it. Hook was my friend, but not anymore."

"Whatever it is you might feel toward him doesn't justify murder, or whatever this is," Tinker Bell answered coldly as Leroy and Sneezy stepped forward to take him into custody, just as Granny and the rest of the dwarfs, including the real Sleepy, arrived. "If Emma and David were here, they would place you under arrest and so that is exactly what we're going to do, Mr. Smee."

Something donned on him then as Grumpy looked at the prisoner again in confusion as he asked, "How is it that you were able to break in here, anyway? The Queen's containment spell is gone."

The pirate glared at the smaller man and replied, "Gold gave me a potion, two potions actually. The first one was to allow me to transform into anyone I needed to be in order to close enough to the vault without rousing suspicion, and the second one was to help me get through the barrier. He said something about it containing Regina's blood, combined with powerful magic strong enough to do so."

"Well, it worked all right," Granny stated coldly. "We're gonna need you fairies to create some more magic to put up another protection spell on this place. Tink, do you have any ideas?"

"I think me and Blue can think of something," the Green Fairy responded. "We'll get to work right away."

Just as everyone was about to leave the room, the fairy sensed a power arise as she looked around, then stopped her eyes on Hook's right arm as she discovered a strange glow coming from beneath the cloth of his jacket and gently lifted the sleeve and called out to the others saying, "Wait! Something's happening."

Grumpy stared at the glow as he asked, "What on earth is that?"

"It's a burn," Granny answered with surprise while they all stared as the burn formed and became frighteningly darker. "Something is being branded into his skin in order to destroy his tattoo, but how?"

"Someone very powerful must be doing this and somehow the magic is being transferred to Hook's body," Tinker Bell replied as the glow finally died down and they could finally see the pattern that appeared. "Although, I don't know how."

Leroy saw that it was a single word or a name as he read it out loud, "Hades? What or who is that?"

It was then that Mother Superior walked into the vault's room and came over to the pirate's crypt to observe the wound herself as she responded fearfully, "Hades, the ruthless God of the Underworld."


	8. Chapter 8

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Eight

It had been over an hour since Nimue's appearance, while Emma and the others continued walking onward until they came upon what looked like a dead end, having entered into a darkened tunnel where the foul river ended and there was no light around them apart from the light of the torches the troupe had pulled down from off the walls to help guide them.

"Well, isn't this just great?" Regina stated cynically as she stopped, then glared over at the blonde woman. "We've taken a wrong turn somewhere. Now what do we do?"

"We should head back the way we came and retrace our steps," Charming replied as he looked behind them to observe the cavern for the way back out.

However, Emma objected as she focused on their surroundings, seeming to sense something that no one else could see or hear, until she realized that what she felt was her own magic emulating from Killian's hook as she pulled it again out to let it guide her, then she spoke up again saying quietly, "There's another way. I can feel it."

Snow looked over at her daughter as she searched the walls with her father's and Robin's help and responded gently, "Allow your magic to guide you, Emma. You can do this. You can get us all through this maze."

"Over here!" the Savior suddenly called out as she could hear and feel a small gust of wind coming from a crack in the cavern wall beside her, then with Regina's help as well, the four of them were able to open a passageway hidden behind the walls where there was a long stairwell leading down into depths of the Underworld, where the bloody river had turned into a river of fire and the walls became brimstone, just as everyone imagined Hell to be like. "My God, I thought I expected this place to look like this, but now that we're here… How are we ever going to find Killian through all this and make it back to the boatman in one piece?"

"As Archie, or Jiminy Cricket would tell you, 'let your conscience be your guide,' and your heart of course," Henry answered as he offered his mom a small smile, then walked on ahead with Regina and Robin, while Emma's parents came up beside her and pulled her into a hug before following after the others.

Emma watched them for a moment, admiring all of them for their courage, and then continued on as well, as she muttered to herself, "Right, let my conscience and my heart guide me. Easier said than done."

While the expedition continued down the stairs and observed their surroundings cautiously, Henry looked closer at the images of men, women, and even those that were of people his own age appearing to be caught in a scream or with tears on their faces etched into the cavern's walls, then he said again nervously, "These paintings are terrifying."

"These aren't paintings," Regina responded with disgust as she pulled Henry closer to her. "These are real people, or they're their souls. They've all been trapped within these walls for God knows how long and will be for eternity, probably as they are forced to relive their sins and wrongdoings in life over and over again."

"For what?" Robin asked in anger. "For punishment because this is what comes of all those who are evil, or because they refused to do this God of the Underworld's bidding?"

David turned away from the images as he simply stated, "It's horrible whatever Hades' reasons are. Robin's right, I doubt that all of these people were evil. Either way, no one deserves to suffer for an eternity like this no matter what they've done."

Mary Margaret answered sadly, "As tragic as this is, there is nothing we can do for them. We're all here for one reason so we need to concentrate on that and keep moving."

"Mom's right," Emma replied in agreement as they finally made their way down to the bottom of the stone steps and carefully began walking alongside the lava out of fear that the land beneath their feet might give way at any moment. "Oh… please let these passageways be stable."

"This land may be stable for now, but it might not be for much longer," Robin responded nervously as the thief turned toward the sound of something big stomping toward them as they all gathered closer together until all of a sudden a huge, hairy beast resembling something of a dog with three heads came crashing through the walls behind them as it howled at them, gnashing its fang like teeth. "What the bloody hell is that thing?"

Regina pushed everyone ahead of her as she shouted, "Does it really matter? Run!"

Everyone did as she ordered while the Queen stood firm as she ignited a fireball in her hand and thrust the flame at the monster as it was about to strike out at her with its paw, only managing to make it angrier as it shrieked when her fire struck it in its head. Emma stopped running and turned back to try to help her, hoping that together they would be able to defeat this monster.

When he turned back to find out what they were doing and saw it knock the woman he loved off her feet as she crashed against the edge of the brimstone path nearly landing her into the blazing river beside her, Robin fearfully cried out, "Regina!"

"I'm alright, just keep going!" she called back to him as she struggled to stand again with Emma's help, then immediately blasted it with another, larger flame that struck the beast in one of its eyes, successfully blinding it and leaving them with five more to deal with. "It's going to take more than my own fire power to destroy this thing, Emma! Any suggestions?"

"I don't think we can destroy it," the Savior answered worryingly while she raised an invisible barrier above her and her friend to protect them when the beast struck out at them again, struggling to keep it up while she and Regina thought of a solution. "But maybe we can trap it, or bind it somehow."

An arrow suddenly flew past the two women, striking the three headed monster in another of its eyes, then the thief ran over to the Queen as he handed her a silver flask he carried inside his coat and asked quickly, "It's small, but do you think you can trap that thing inside this?"

Regina looked into his eyes, then took the decanter in her hands as she replied, "I guess we're about to find out. Help Emma by keeping that thing distracted for me while I do this, but be careful. I won't lose you again."

"Just hurry, I don't know how much longer I can keep this beast back!" Emma cried, falling to one knee while struggling to keep her barrier in place as it continued to lash out at them.

"How about an arrow straight into your heart, monster?" Robin said more to himself than to the creature or to anyone else as he tethered another arrow into his bow, then aimed and released it, striking it exactly where he wanted it to.

While they kept the creature busy, Regina stared down at the flask in her hand and began summoning a spell within her mind, the decanter beginning to glow and rise into the air as she did. When she reached the peak of the spell, power wielding chains suddenly burst out of the container and tightly wrapped themselves around the monster, then consumed it, pulling the animal back inside. Once it was all over, the Queen immediately sealed it, then threw the flask into the fire so that the beast wouldn't be able to harm them again.

With help up from Henry, who quickly ran over to them, Emma stood, then hugged her son tightly as she looked at Regina and stated, "That was one hell of a spell you just cast. Thank you, Regina."

Henry turned to hug his second mother as well, as Robin placed his hand on her back for support, then she nodded and responded, "You're welcome. I couldn't have done it without either of you. That thing, whatever it was, can't be killed, but if Hades wants his pet back, he'll have to go fishing for it. I don't believe it will be able to harm us again any time soon, if at all."

"It's called Cerberus," Henry answered quickly. "Hades' favorite beast and guardian down here, something else I learned from a text book, and from Harry Potter."

"Who's Harry Potter?" David asked as he and Mary Margaret also walked over to join them.

Henry looked at them quizzically and then replied, "We should all really sit down to watch a movie every once and awhile like a normal family."

Emma smiled as she patted his head, then responded, "That's sounds great, kid. Maybe one day, once we return home and everything becomes settled again."

"Have you always had that flask, because I don't ever remember seeing you drink from it before?" Regina asked as she turned to look at Robin.

"Actually no," the archer answered sadly as he lowered his head. "Killian… He gave it to me back when I first returned to Storybrooke with you and Emma, and Zelena, after our brief stay in New York. He said he thought I could use it whenever I needed to take my mind off of something troubling. Rum never was my choice of drink, but he was right. It can certainly help at times. Now that you've destroyed it, when we all return home I'll just have to ask him for a new one."

Little did the heroes know, Rumpelstiltskin was standing watch from a ledge far above them in their battle, and when they had thwarted his plan once again, the Dark One growled in frustration, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was going to take something more cunning than a three headed dog to defeat them.


	9. Chapter 9

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Nine

"So pirate, have you missed me all this time?" the blonde leaning over him asked in a mocking tone as she began to run her fingers over his lips, then let out a cruel laugh as Killian turned his head and struggled to pull away from her.

"You're not her, not... Emma," he responded sadly as he turned again to look at the imposter wearing the face of the woman he truly loved, even more than he could ever love Milah. "Emma's safe at home… with her family and friends… the way it… should be."

The pretender nodded and then moved in closer so that her face was touching his as she whispered coolly into his ear, "You're right. And now that you're no longer in her way, she'll be free to find love again with another man who is not a villainous pirate, not a traitor, and most importantly of all, not someone who would break her heart as you have. Does it pain you to hear this?"

Hook turned his head slightly so that he could look into the monster's eyes as he answered hopelessly, "Aye, more than you co… could ever… know, but I did what was best… for her, for once in my… life."

"It is as Hades told you, one noble act of nobility cannot change the man you really are, Captain Hook," she replied smugly. "You were always a villain, even when you pretended not to be. I could see it inside your head. You never really believed all the lies you kept telling yourself and everyone else around you. Once a villain, always a villain. I know the kind of man you truly are, Captain."

"Nimue?" he stated fearfully as he finally recognized who Emma's double really was, then watched as she transformed back into herself, the female crocodile who had become the first of the Dark Ones since Merlin first drank from the Holy Grail centuries ago.

Before he could say more, the evil spirit there to torment him roughly grabbed him by the back of his head, then used her free hand to hold his face to keep him from turning away from her, then leaned in to kiss him for as long as she wanted, as he was powerless to stop her. All of a sudden, a force from behind the Dark One stabbed a dagger into her back, causing a large burst of light to form around her, while Killian raised his hand to shield his eyes from the power until it disappeared, Nimue along with it.

As soon as he was able, Hook put his arm down and blinked several times to try to focus on the newcomer still kneeling there in front of him and when he could see again, the Captain saw Merlin and not the Dark One or anyone else, as the look on his face was that of sadness, but of kindness as well, not of anger as Killian expected of him.

He finally spoke quietly saying, "I am sorry that this has become your fate, Killian. You never asked for this and though you briefly gave into the darkness, in the end you sacrificed everything and gave your life to protect those you loved."

Hook looked at the sorcerer with confusion as he asked, "Do you not… despise me for what I… what I did, for crushing your heart?"

"No, because I know that was Nimue and not really you," Merlin responded as he reached out his hand for Killian to take hold of so that he could help him in any way that he needed him to. "Take it from someone who knows all too well the power of the darkness and how easy it is to want to let it consume you. Can you move at all?"

"I don't… not really," the pirate answered weakly. "I've already… lost all of my strength. How… am I feeling all this… everything here and their torment… anyway? I am dead."

While he turned around to make sure that their way was clear, Merlin continued as he replied cautiously, "It's difficult… impossible to explain. Now, I was only able to dispel Nimue for a brief period of time, but she may be back. I can't help you escape the Underworld, but I can help you find a place where you can hide from Hades and his minions, if only so you can regain a little of your strength before they find you again."

Killian looked at the man before him with skepticism as he asked fearfully, "How… how can I know that it's really you… and not just another… bloody trick?"

"You can't," the sorcerer replied sincerely as he helped Hook to stand, leaning him up against the rocks behind him to help keep him upright. "But I promise you that I am. What have you got to lose?"

"Perhaps what little is left… of my sanity," he responded, raising an eyebrow as he stared at the spirit before him. "Why should I hide… if they will find me again and begin their torture… all over again?"

Merlin pulled the man into his arms and helped him to walk out of the void as he answered again, "I'm afraid that is also impossible for me to explain as well. Trust me when I say that you are better off not knowing. If they fail... Just know that I am not your only ally down here. Come, let's go before they return. It won't be long before I am missed as well."

Inside the largest of hollows within the Underworld…

While he sat upon a throne carved out of the purest gold from the world above, surrounded by firelight from torches along the walls, as well as the best food, drinks, and desserts imaginable to all of the souls he's collected over his immortal life, and several women for the God's own pleasure, Hades leaned forward, staring angrily at one of his most valuable and powerful of souls loyal to only him while she finished explaining how she had failed in her task to continue his torment planned for the pirate captain.

"I don't know who helped him escape, my Lord," she said in end to her justification apprehensively. "All I do remember is a blinding pain as I was dispelled. "But I do know that it couldn't possibly have been the Savior or the others. They're wandering around aimlessly and are too busy trying to ward off the monsters you send their way."

"Maybe so, and if I recall, you failed to stop every one of them," the God replied as he rose to stand over her while she remained on her knees at his feet. "The Savior was able to see straight through your lies and appearance. Perhaps you and the rest of you Dark Ones have outlived your usefulness and would be more suited to becoming a part of my collection."

She sat up as she immediately begged, "No please, master. We can do better. You know that there is no one more loyal to you than I. My deeds in life alone should have proved that you."

Hades shrugged as he responded, "I thought so once, but how can I trust that you will not fail me again?"

"Please give us another chance," Nimue answered as the God leaned down and took her face in his hands to hold her close. "Emma Swan and her family will need to sleep very soon now. I believe I can find a way into their minds through their dreams."

"To find out exactly what their weaknesses and deepest fears are," he replied smugly, understanding exactly what her plan was. "I like it. I just wish I thought of it myself. Nonetheless, go do it. And Nimue, don't fail me again. If you do, I will make you suffer from here on out, even if it means that I lose your loyalty. It's a price I am willing to pay. Oh, and send at least two of your pals out to find Hook and whoever it is helping him, then bring them both to me. I've got to go find my pet. That cursed Queen with our invaders imprisoned him inside a flask of all things and then tossed him into one of my lava pits. Finding Cerberus is going to be hell, pun totally intended."


	10. Chapter 10

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Ten

 _Emma walked back down to the ground level of her family's loft with a small, thin case in hand and inserted a disc into the player above their television, then walked across the room to sit down on the couch beside Killian, who immediately pulled her close as she pushed play on the remote control and cuddled into the arms of the man she loved._

 _Before the movie began, he quickly asked, "Aren't we supposed to wait for your boy and parents to get here? This was after all Henry's suggestion."_

 _As she laid her head above his chest, admiring the smell of the cologne he was wearing, Emma answered, "Don't worry, they'll be here before the previews are finished playing. They're on their way back from getting snacks and drinks for our movie night. Regina and Robin should be here too. This is a special occasion you know."_

 _"Really, and what may I ask makes it so special, other than the fact that this is the first movie I've ever watched in all my years?" he asked again as he looked down at her and took her hand in his._

 _"This is proof that we made it out of the Underworld alive, all of us, including you," she responded when she raised her head to look into his eyes as well. "This is something Henry suggested we do because it's a small way of bringing our family closer together, the way we should be. We're together again, Killian, and though we have our battles to fight against evil, tonight we're free to be happy and safe at home."_

 _He leaned in to kiss her and then replied, "Aye, indeed we are."_

 _Just then, Henry burst into the apartment, followed by David and Mary Margaret, as well as Regina and Robin Hood too, as the youngest member of their family set down the bags of groceries he was carrying on the counter and turned to his birth mother as he asked, "So Mom, did you get it?"_

 _"Get what?" Regina inquired as she pulled off her coat and hung it up on the coat stand next to Robin's after he did the same, while the Charmings all laid their coats on the bed set across from the living room._

 _"The movie we're going to watch tonight," the young man answered as he looked among his family and stopped his eyes on Killian, whom he just grinned at. "I told Mom we should watch Hook. I thought it appropriate. Plus, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees how the rest of the world sees him."_

 _Hook glared at Emma as he responded, "What, do you mean a man with a wax mustache and perm?"_

 _David took a seat on the room's smaller sofa, his wife beside him, and passed around a large bowl of chips while the others got seated as well, then replied smugly, "Is that what you told him, Emma? I think I am really going to enjoy this."_

 _"Don't worry, Hook," the Savior stated as she settled back down against his chest once the movie began. "The world hasn't had the chance to meet the real you yet. I'm sure that if they had, you would have been chosen to play yourself over Dustin Hoffman in a heartbeat."_

 _"That's right, because the world wouldn't have fallen for Captain Guyliner's misguided charm and blue eyes," Regina retorted mockingly as everyone laughed, except for the man they were teasing, who scowled._

 _Then, Killian leaned over to Henry sitting in a chair he pulled up beside his friend and whispered, "Who is this, Dustin Hoffman?"_

 _He answered, "You'll see."_

 _A few minutes into the movie…_

 _"Do you guys hear that?" Emma asked worryingly when she started hearing a muffled sound that wasn't coming from the movie, a sound that didn't belong to any of the electrics or appliances around them, nor was it coming from outside. "It sounds like someone calling out…"_

 _"Swan," the voice called again, this time becoming clearer than before as she sat up straight and tried to listen more closely. "Please… help me."_

 _Hook looked over at her with confusion as he asked, "Are you alright, love?"_

 _It was then that the chilling plea rang loudly within her ears as a man cried, "Emma!"_

"Killian!" she screamed out as she suddenly shot up in fear, having woken from a nightmare, from where she slept on the warm, hard ground of the small cavity she and the rest of her family and friends had found refuge in to try to get rest before exhaustion could claim them, after Regina cast a protection spell in place to keep out anyone or anything that might attack them once their guards were down.

"Emma, what is it?" Mary Margaret asked fearfully as she rushed over to her daughter and tried to pull her close to comfort her. "Are you alright? It was just a dream."

The young woman pulled away and stood up as she responded angrily, "Yeah, a really good dream until it wasn't any longer. I told you it was a bad idea to try to sleep. I know what's at stake here, but whether I'm exhausted or not, I can't just close my eyes while he's down here somewhere, suffering from anguish because of me!"

When Emma stormed over to the entrance of the cavern and turned her back to those concerned for her while she took up watch for trouble, Snow looked over at Charming, who had come to her side and pulled her into a hug for her own comfort, then said worryingly, "David, she's getting worse. If we don't find him soon… I'm afraid we're losing her all over again. I still believe that saving Hook is the right thing to do, but what if Gold's plan to blacken her heart succeeds after all?"

"You have to have faith that it won't," Charming replied and then kissed Snow's forehead. "I have faith in her. After everything that she's been though and survived since she arrived in Storybrooke to find us five years ago, there's nothing that she can't do because she's stronger than she remembers most of the time."

"Besides, she has us," Henry added as he came over to sit beside his grandparents, who both pulled him into their hug. "And we'll find Killian. I just know it. Maybe that nightmare she was just having was more than a nightmare."

Emma overheard most of the conversation going on behind her and when Henry made his suggestion, she turned back around and looked down at them as she asked, "Do you really think that's possible, Henry? I mean… Do you think he's trying to call out to me?"

The young man shook his head as he answered, "I don't know, Mom. I would like to hope that's what your dreams really are, but then again, we're here in Hell. It could also be this place playing tricks on your mind again, possibly feeding off of your fear."

"But if it is really him, then it means he hasn't given up yet and that means there's still hope," Regina responded from a distance where she and her own true love were sitting together nearby after being woken from Emma's scream. "Damn it, Snow. All of your hope speeches have begun to wear off on me and now I can't seem to stop giving them myself."

"I rather like listening to them, especially when they're coming from you," Robin replied with a smile. "Believe me, hope suits you."

All of a sudden, a phantom appeared in the dark between the heroes and swiftly used magic to light the torches along the walls as it spoke cruelly, "Oh, isn't that just so sweet. But all of this hope and love going on in here is doing nothing to help any of you find that handsome pirate. I could help you with that if you'd like?"

Regina stood quickly as she called out in surprise, "Mother? Of all the people I expected to see here… How did you break past my protection spell?"

"Don't worry, darling," Cora answered without sincerity. "I haven't come to harm any of you. And I was able to get in here, because I was a more powerful witch than you ever were. Do you not think that I know how to bypass one of you most simple of spells?"

"The keyword in that sentence is 'was,' mother," Regina responded in frustration. "You were more powerful, but now you're dead, and in the Underworld where you belong."

Emma glared at Cora as she raised her hands to be ready for a fight and then asked, "Why should we listen to anything you have to say? It could be another trick!"

The woman smiled at the Savior and replied smugly, "Are you really willing to risk Hook's life on that, Miss. Swan?"


	11. Chapter 11

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Eleven

After leaving Granny's Diner, Belle simply started walking with nowhere particular to go in mind. All she knew was that she needed space, and time to try to figure out whether or not what those she had just left behind, many of her friends whom she always trusted before, were speaking the truth. She couldn't believe that after everything, her husband could possibly betray her all over again like the beast inside of him had done so many times in the past. Or was it that she didn't want to believe it?

Rumpelstiltskin had finally been freed of the darkness and even though he was still the coward that he was before becoming the Dark One, the man she loved nearly gave his life to protect her from Merida in her bear form. The truth was, Belle didn't want to believe that he could once again sacrifice their love to regain the evil power that comes from the darkness.

However, she realized then that no matter what the truth really was, she owed it to everyone, especially to herself, to find out for sure. Belle stopped going in the direction she had started walking in and quickly headed toward Gold's pawnshop in hope that there was an answer buried in there somewhere.

"I figured that I could find you in here," Archie said serenely after he walked inside the shop in search of the young woman standing behind the counter as she looked at the psychiatrist in surprise. "Please, forgive us all for being so blunt about our feelings for your husband. I know how much you love him and no matter what he's done, or hasn't done, I know that he loves you too."

"I should apologize to all of you," Belle replied sadly as she slowly continued her search while she and the man of conscience continued speaking. "It was wrong of me to fly off of the handle like that. It's just that, there is good in him. I know there is and then finally he had been freed of the dagger. With the darkness gone from him, how could he possibly choose to go after the power once again, especially after he became a real hero by saving me despite his lack of courage? He had an opportunity to kill Hook aboard his ship after Rumple defeated him in their duel, to become the Dark One then, and yet he didn't. He set Hook free."

Archie nodded and then answered, "You make a fair point. I can understand your reluctance to believe us over him and your own heart. Hopefully when they all return to us, you'll have an opportunity to ask him for the truth himself. Then, you can judge him for yourself."

She stopped what she was doing again as she looked over at the former cricket and responded with frustration, "I'm not so sure I can wait that long. I need answers now. I cannot risk being wrong about him. If in case it's true and I confront him about it, then he uses his magic on me to make me forget or worse… I don't know what I would do. I'd break, just like the teacup he gave me. Only, I wouldn't be so easily repaired even if I wanted to be."

"Then, perhaps there is someone who can help you," Archie replied after he thought a moment for a solution. "If anyone can, it would be Mother Superior."

"Archie, you're a genius," Belle answered quickly as she ran out from behind the counter and over to the older man, then kissed his cheek before walking out the door with Archie right behind her.

Inside the town church…

It didn't take long for Belle and Archie to make their way to where they knew they would find the Blue Fairy and then after explaining what Belle had come to her for, the wise woman spoke up saying, "If you really wish to know the truth, Belle, to know what your heart truly desires, I can help you. I just need you to understand, that no matter what you see and hear, it is the truth. I would never mislead you, no matter what it is I believe and feel toward Rumpelstiltskin."

Belle looked over at Archie, then turned back to the fairy and responded, "I do trust you, Mother Superior. Please, I just need to know the truth, no matter what it really is. I know that I owe it to myself to be happy and I won't be able to do that if there's a possibility I could be living a lie."

Blue nodded and moved to stand before Belle as she placed her hand gently over her heart, then began to sum up a magic spell that would help her to give the young woman what she desired. Within a few moments, a small blue wisp flowed from out of her hands and entered into Belle's chest, then out again as Belle gasped. The magic immediately burst into what appeared to be a vision or memory above their heads while Belle and Archie took a seat to watch as the vision unfolded, seeing as the man she loved entered his pawnshop and stared coldly at the woman who was once again the Savior.

 _Gold spoke up first as he made his way around the counter to be able to face Emma and said with irritation, "Now you see, this isn't the library or Granny's or some bus station, Miss Swan. This is my shop. Unless the sign says open, you're not invited."_

 _"I think I was invited," she replied without looking at him at first, until she continued. "I hear whispering. It's the dagger. It's calling to me."_

 _"You're upset, imagining things," he immediately answered to try to deflect her obvious interrogation._

 _"No, I'm not," the Savior stated again. "It's here, isn't it? You have it, don't you?"_

 _Rumpelstiltskin realized then that she had him and looked down at his display as he finally reached in and took out something covered within a cloth, then pulled it away to reveal the dagger as he responded in frustration, "Yes, I do."_

 _Emma looked at the man in shock as she gasped and said with disbelief, "You are the Dark One, again."_

 _"Yes, had hoped to keep that secret," the villain replied smugly. "Wasn't expecting you to hear it. But then, most ex-Dark Ones are dead._

 _"How is this possible?" she asked in surprise._

 _Gold began to explain, "When you came to me, asking for the sword, I'd seen an opportunity. A chance I had never imagined would present itself again. As fate would have it, a small vial of magic was close at hand. One sprinkle, and I knew I could get it all back. I turned the sword into a conduit. So that while Hook, thought he was destroying the darkness, he was actually... moving it. Channeling it someplace safe."_

 _The Savior glared at him as she stated, "Into you."_

 _"He had no idea," the man continued. "And now, things are as they should be."_

 _"Hook sacrificed himself and you took that from him!" Emma answered angrily as she suddenly attempted to reach over the counter to grab him by his collar until he immediately used his newfound powers to freeze her for a few seconds without even having to look at her in order to make her think twice about her actions._

 _He glared at her as he asked villainously, "Do you honestly think that you can hurt me? I now have the combined power of every Dark One who ever lived, including you."_

 _She stared at him with disappointment as she responded, "You found a loophole, betrayed us all again."_

 _"It's what I do," Gold replied as he stood straight. "It's the man I am."_

 _"Well then, Dark One, now that you have your power back, you're going to do something for me," the Savior demanded vehemently as she stood up straighter as well._

 _He asked simply, "And why would I do anything for you?"_

 _She continued to stare at him as she answered, "Because I still have magic. And I'm willing to bet I can get to Belle and tell her everything before you can kill me."_

 _"Don't test me," he responded with anger of his own while he kept his eyes on hers._

 _"Don't test me!" Emma repeated his words back to him with more force. "You really want to take that chance? That she will, once again, know the kind of man you really are?"_

 _After turning away while contemplating her threat for a few moments, he finally looked back up at her as he asked, "What do you want, Miss Swan?"_

Tears were falling down her face as Belle finally spoke up again after the vision cleared, saying, "It's true. Rumple lied to me, again. Even though the darkness wasn't inside of him to tempt him, he still chose power over love, over me."

"I am so sorry, Belle," Mother Superior responded sadly as she pulled the young woman into her arms to try to comfort her. "I truly wish this wasn't so."

"As do I," Archie replied in agreement as he remained sitting with his head down while she grieved. "Are you alright?"

Finally, after she took a few minutes for herself, Belle recomposed herself once again and answered with strength, "I will take time to grieve properly later. The situation is as Leroy said earlier at Granny's. Hook bravely sacrificed his life to save us all, partly because Rumple tricked him into doing so. He is the hero. Now, I can't help them while they're down there. However, I have no doubt that everyone will return from the Underworld with Killian and if my husband gets the chance once they do, he will do everything he can to make sure that Emma and the others cannot save him."

Blue looked at her as she asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I need to do something to make sure that that doesn't happen, for both Hook and Emma," she responded as she looked between the cricket and the fairy. "And I think I know just what I need, if the two of you will help me find it."

"Whatever you need, just ask," Mother Superior said with a newfound sense of admiration for the beast's beauty. "We have all suffered from Rumpelstiltskin's wrath long enough. It's time that we do something to make sure everyone is safe."

"Of course I'm willing, but just so long as whatever we're going to do, doesn't come with a price that we are not willing to pay," the man of conscience added as he looked at Belle in order to read her emotion."

"Don't worry, Jiminy," she spoke again calmly. "It's a price I am happy to pay if it means I can get my life back and one day find my happy ending with Emma's help. The Dark One will never again have a part in it."


	12. Chapter 12

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twelve

While Merlin struggled to pull the Captain along through the caves of the Underworld in search for a safe haven as he slowly grew weaker the more that they walked, Merlin broke the silence that had fallen over them in hope of encouraging Hook to keep fighting as he spoke up saying softly, "Don't worry, I promise you that we are almost where you will be safe."

Killian scoffed and then responded, "And for how… long will that last? Surely you have not been condemn… condemned to an eternity as I so deserve. Why risk… risk yours… for me?"

"I will admit, I sensed back in Camelot that you held a high regard for yourself, at least on the outside," Merlin replied as he looked down to check on the man whose head hung low and whose arm was slung across his shoulders. "I didn't understand at first how you and Emma were in love, but it became clearer every day. It also became clear that the mask of conceit you hid behind was not the real you. You are a good man who became tormented by the mistakes of his past and lived the rest of his life to correct them."

"In the end it didn't matter," the pirate answered regrettably.

The sorcerer smiled sadly as he responded, "You're wrong. Everything you've done mattered far more than you know, especially to those you love; to Emma, her family, and your friends from Storybrooke. I failed to help you, Killian. I should have tried to help you fight off the darkness as I did for Emma. Perhaps if I had, things would have turned out differently for the both of us. You saved the woman you loved when no one else could, including me. Even I couldn't save my Nimue. This is why I have come and chose to risk my eternity."

Finally, Merlin led Hook into another cavern, but as they entered, the hollow opened up into a vast space as if the cavern melted away, revealing Storybrooke. Only it wasn't the way Killian knew the place he had come to call home to be. Instead the town was on fire, most of the houses and businesses burning before them, while the rest was in total ruin.

Hook stared fearfully ahead of them as he struggled to stand straighter with Merlin's continued help while he asked, "What the… hell is this?"

"Everyone sees the world inside this hollow differently, as it shows them the shadows of what they most fear," Merlin replied worryingly, being able to see what it was that Killian saw, instead of his own fears. "You see before you what might have been should you have failed to fight against the darkness."

"Storybrooke is destroyed," Killian answered as he pushed himself away from the sorcerer and weakly made his way over to what little remained of Granny's diner, but then stopped dead in his tracks as he found Granny's still hand partly buried beneath the rubble, as well as Archie's and Belle's bodies lying on the ground a few feet away from where he stood until he collapsed to the ground out of fear. "Our friends… de… dead. Everyone's dead! Why bring me here? Another punish… punishment? Who are you really? Answer me!"

Merlin knelt down before the pirate and responded gently, "I am Merlin. And I brought you here to show you what it is you have done for those you love."

Hook turned to look at the man before him for the first time since they left the void as he replied with confusion, "But I saved them! I defeated… the Dark Ones. I destroyed the darkness…"

"Yes Killian, you did," the sorcerer answered with a small smile when Hook cut himself off. "And now that you know this, you can push aside your fears and find a place of refuge, a place where you found comfort when you were alive, if only for a short time. They will not think to look for you here until they cannot find you anyplace else."

"What's wrong?" Killian asked when Merlin rose again as he slowly began to fade away, though he didn't appear to seem alarmed.

The man quietly responded, "It appears I must leave you now. I have atoned for my one regret in life, by helping both you and Emma destroy the darkness as you have, the darkness I unleashed upon the world. I righted my wrong, even if I couldn't save Nimue. Thank you, and remember that you are no longer alone. Help will find you more than I."

Hook watched as he disappeared and cried out, "Wait… Sorcerer!"

What was hours later, though it felt like days to Hook…

"Well, well… Hello again!" Rumpelstiltskin called out as he suddenly appeared before Killian, who had found what he believed to be the safest haven among his nightmare; aboard his ship that had been capsized upon the land, in the Captain's quarters of the Jolly Roger. "Did you miss me?"

"Bloody Crocodile, I thought I've finally rid myself of you," Hook replied as he raised his head from his bed he had laid down upon to try to rest after finally being able to drag himself down to the docks of the town through the destruction and fire, then let it fall back again in frustration upon seeing his darkest enemy standing in the doorway. "I am no longer a Dark One, so get out of my head."

Rumple laughed and answered, "I'm afraid that I cannot do that, dearie. I am a part of your worst fears. And I must say, I really love what you've done with the place."

Killian weakly sat up, leaning back against the far wall behind him, then responded, "I don't care why you're here. I know that this isn't real. I didn't allow myself to fully give in to the darkness as you have. I destroyed the darkness. Storybrooke is still intact and your enemies are still alive."

"You think so?" the villain replied as he swiftly placed his hands on the sides of Killian's head and suddenly forced his way inside of his mind, causing Hook to cry out in pain. "Shall we see what really happened?"

 _"Killian, you can't do this!" Emma pleaded with him in one last attempt to get Hook to stop with his plan to destroy all light magic by bringing back all Dark Ones from the Underworld._

 _He smiled cruelly as he answered, "We both know there's no other way, love. This is what you made me. I told you, I am going to hurt you, the same way you hurt me. If you really loved that weak minded fool I once was, you would have just let him die. And now your family is going to pay the price of your weakness."_

 _Nimue stepped forward to stand beside Hook as she spoke up saying, "It's time."_

 _"No, you're not taking the people I love!" the Dark Savior responded angrily as she attempted to step forward until she was held in place as Nimue used her own dark magic to choke her._

 _"I might not be able to kill you, but I can stop you from interfering," she replied as Hook walked down to the edge of the pond, ignoring the cold glares from the people Killian Jones used to care about, then sliced his hand with Excalibur, letting his blood drip down into the water to open the portal to the Underworld where the boatman would rise from to drag all of the living souls down."_

 _David shouted, "I thought you had changed! We thought you changed. After everything we've done for you!"_

 _The pirate looked back at him as he called back, "After everything you've done for me, mate? You mean, willingly allowed me to date your daughter? Cause a lot of good that's done for all of us! It's because of you lot that I've become the very monster I've sworn revenge on for centuries. And now you're all going to suffer for it."_

 _"Mom!" Henry cried out when the Dark Ones who had marked each of the heroes, forced them all back aboard the boat with a burst of power, then stood in the shallow end of the pond as everyone, including Hook and Emma, watched them all get dragged away as they screamed. "Mom!_

 _"I warned you, love," Hook said again coldly as Emma collapsed down to the ground and cried, especially upon hearing her son beg for her to save him. "You wanted to turn me into a Dark One? Well now you've got him."_

 _The pirate smiled as he ignited a flame within the palm of his hand and then spoke up again saying, "And now, it's time to finally burn down this cursed town once and for all and anyone who resists me will suffer as well. Try to stop me, Emma, but we both know that I am now the stronger of the two of us. I'll be seeing you."_

It was then that the pressure upon his mind immediately let up as Killian gasped in horror and anguish upon seeing what he might have done, then before he could say anything, Rumpelstiltskin laughed again and asked, "Now do you believe that what you see around you isn't real? This may be an illusion, but up there… You failed, Captain. You gave into the darkness and Emma, at last thrust Excalibur through your chest to destroy that darkness, once and for all. She is the only true hero. You've just forgotten because you've been here in the Underworld for nearly as long as you had been alive. Miss. Swan no longer loves you and like it or not, you are once again the villain you feared you'd become, Hook."

"You're lying!" Hook shouted angrily. "Get out of my head!"

"The sooner you accept what I've told you, the easier this eternity can be for you," the Dark One answered smugly. "Hades will welcome you at his side, if you be the man I know you really are." 


	13. Chapter 13

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Thirteen

"Ever since I died and was sent down here, I've had to work for that infuriating God, Hades, especially since he stripped me of my powers and threatened to make me a part of his rock wall décor," Cora continued as she stood amongst the heroes, all of whom were prepared to strike at her should she attempt to hurt any of them. "I always did look good in paintings, but I really didn't care to spend eternity living as one."

"So naturally, you teamed up with the most powerful being so long as you get to have some of your power back in exchange for your loyalty," Regina said coldly. "Always looking for an angle for yourself, aren't you, mother?"

Cora looked over at her daughter as if she were hurt and answered, "It's a shame that you have come to think so little of me again, Regina. And I thought we had reconciled before I died, or least put aside our differences so that we could make your enemies pay, together. However, it appears as though you've realigned yourself with them, even consider them your friends. Oh, and you've found yourself another love too. How wonderful."

Regina moved closer to the woman as she replied in anger, "If you even think so much as to hurt him…"

"Enough, both of you!" Emma shouted with frustration at their bickering. "I want to know what you know about Hook. Where is he?"

"Now that isn't very nice, requesting my help without offering me something for it in return?" the Evil Queen responded smugly.

Her daughter glared at Cora as she asked, "And what is it that you want from us? It's not like we can help you regain the rest of your power a God stole from you."

Cora smiled as she looked between Regina and Emma, then answered, "Actually, you can do just that, if you bring me back up to the land of the living with you. Do that, and I will help you save your pirate boyfriend too. If you don't, you'll never find him."

"No," the Savior replied steadfastly as she raised her hands to prepare for an attack by the woman standing before them. "We're already breaking all kinds of mortal laws by coming down to the Underworld for Hook. I will not risk anything getting in my way to save him, especially you."

"Now see, that's really too bad because… if you really wanted to save that gorgeous, yet murderous one handed scoundrel, then I would think you would do whatever it takes, including performing the lesser evil to do so," she responded cruelly as she suddenly shot out a burst of magic that forced everyone, but Regina and Emma, down to the ground hard, then raises them both off of their feet as she began to choke them. "If you're not going to help me, then I will finish you both off like I should have done when I was still alive, including you, daughter."

Robin cried out, "Regina!"

He struggled to stand to help her, as did David and Mary Margaret to help Emma, but the force that took them down knocked the air out of their lungs, as there was a pressure in their chests that wasn't letting up. Cora began to laugh upon seeing her daughter and the Savior fight against the invisible power around their throats until all of a sudden that force faded away as Cora screamed when she burst into flames and vanished.

Mary Margaret immediately raced to Emma's side, followed quickly by her father, while Robin ran to Regina, but before any of them could ask if the women were alright, Emma stared at her son, who was standing where Cora was moments before, then asked, "Hey kid, what did you just do?"

"I used salt," he answered simply.

"You used salt?" Regina asked as everyone continued to look at him quizzically. "You mean, as in ordinary table salt?"

As he held up a canister of salt that he found in his grandparents' kitchen cupboards, Henry replied, "I uh… I think there's something in the salt, something about it makes it pure, which is why ghosts can't stand it. It doesn't kill them, but it sure hurts them. I read up on ghosts and monsters that we might find down here before we left home. I thought it could help. I didn't really think it would work, but…"

Emma pulled him into a hug as she finished for him, "Yeah, I guess it does. Thank you, Henry. I hate that we dragged you into all this, but I am glad you're here."

"Me too," the young man responded with a smile. "And I would have been angry with you if you didn't let me come."

"I'm so proud that we managed to raise such a clever boy despite all of our differences over the years," Regina spoke up as she hugged her son as well.

Henry looked at her as he scoffed, "No offense, Mom, but I'm no longer a child. I'm a man now. I've seen and done too much in my life to be anything, but a man now."

David smiled as he looked between his grandson's two mothers, then answered, "I hate to admit it, but Henry's right. After everything… he is a man."

"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked as she looked back at her daughter and found that she was staring off in the distance looking angry.

"It's nothing," she replied sternly. "I'm just frustrated. I know we didn't need Cora's help, but I'm angry. The more we keep running into trouble, the longer we all take to rest, the longer it will be before we find Killian."

Mary Margaret shook her head as she responded sadly, "I know, sweetheart, but if we don't rest, even you, then none of us will be in any condition to fight against the monsters that we all know will keep coming. I know you're afraid that you'll fail."

Emma interrupted, "You're right, I am afraid of failing him, but I'm also afraid that the longer it takes for us to get to him, the less he will be him, the less he'll be Killian Jones, the smug, full of life swashbuckler who once again found his good heart despite the centuries of hate and villainy he suffered through. What if, when we all get back home, Killian is nothing more than a shadow of who he really is, or worse… an empty shell?"

"What is the one thing, Hook always reminded you of?" David asked as he walked over to stand with his wife and daughter. "What is one of the things your mother and I know that you love most about him?"

"That he's a survivor," the Savior stated with a smile, almost being able to see the man she loved standing there before her with that cheeky grin of his on his face and a single eyebrow risen above the other just before he leaned in to kiss her. "You're right, we're going to get him back, and he's going to be fine."


	14. Chapter 14

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Fourteen

Rumpelstiltskin left his enemy behind within the Hollow of Fears, as Hades had come to call it, and then appeared before the God once again as he was in the middle of an new soul's judgement. When the Lord of the Underworld finished granting the young woman passage into the Elysian Fields, he stepped down from his throne, guzzled back a goblet of ale, then threw the chalice across the room and walked over to stand before his friend, who had also managed to escape his own eternal damnation when the Dark One's son brought him back from the dead.

Hades was the first to speak up saying, "You know, there have been more and more souls I've condemned to suffer for eternity because humans are becoming more and more malicious and stupid. However, every once in awhile a good one comes to me. I'll admit, I hate it, but then again, everything needs to balance out somehow, doesn't it?"

The Dark One shrugged as he replied, "I suppose not. I came by to let you know, I found your escapee. It appears Merlin was the one who tried to help Hook, by taking him to your little cave of people's beautiful fears. I read the pirate's mind."

"And what is it that you learned?" Hades asked impatiently.

"I learned, that that sorcerer foolishly believed he could bring him there to help him build up his strength, by reminding him of the good he had done before he died, what it is that Hook had prevented," Rumple responded and then smiled, excited about what he was about to say next. "But you see, I planted false memories into Hook's mind, a memory that could explain why it was he was really seeing the town and the people he loved so much destroyed, by his own hand. Of course, he was skeptical of the things I showed him, but it wasn't long after that he lost consciousness. When he awakens again, with a little push from you, he could truly believe he is the very monster that I am."

After thinking for a moment, Hades answered, "Before he comes to, I want you to bring him here to me. I'd like to get in on your fun. On second thought, I'll have someone else collect him instead. Exactly, how is it that you were able to find your enemy so quickly when my minions couldn't."

As he suddenly made Hook's left hand reappear within his own hand, Rumpelstiltskin replied, "Before I left my shop, I gathered a few personal items to bring with me, easily concealed from prying eyes; a very old souvenir and the very reason he wears a hook, or at least… did. I cast a very simple locating spell on the hand I stole from him centuries ago to help me find the pirate. It didn't take a whole lot of effort for me to find him. Unfortunately for you, Miss. Swan also has her own trinket to help her in her quest as well and is guided by her love for him. Unless we can actually find a way to defeat the Savior and the rest of the heroes, it is only a matter of time before they find him."

"Don't worry," the God smiled and responded smugly. "I've got some of my own friends out there preparing to wreak havoc on them, which even if it doesn't kill them, it will slow them down for us so that we can continue having our fun. Truthfully, I really do hope that this Savior does find him eventually. That will be when I make an appearance and then attempt to strike the deal of the century. I can't wait to meet her."

"Well then," the Dark One answered as he smiled again. "I am glad to be of service. I hope my efforts have been enough for a free passage home?"

The God of the Underworld patted the evil man's shoulder as he stated, "Don't you worry about that, Rumpelstiltskin. An opportunity for your freedom will present itself and when it does, I promise you that I won't try to stop you, although I will certainly miss you. Although, it isn't like I won't ever see you again one day? I mean, do you really believe someone won't kill you eventually?"

Rumple turned to leave Hades to his business, walking away as he called back, "Perhaps, but that won't be for a very, very long time yet."

Meanwhile…

After Cora disappeared, and the heroes felt it safe enough to try to get some more rest once Regina reinforced her protection spell around them, even Emma managed to fall asleep out of pure exhaustion. As the Dark One, she rarely slept, nor did she need to. And after the darkness was expelled from her body because she had paid the steepest of prices to destroy it as Merlin had warned her she would have to do, Emma couldn't sleep. She cried until she couldn't any longer, then spent the rest of her time lying still on the couch in the home Killian had picked out for the two of them while she stared up at the ceiling and replayed all of her mistakes since becoming the Dark One over and over in her mind.

It wasn't long after they all laid down to rest that Nimue appeared at the doorway of the cavern and smiled as she looked down upon them lying there without any idea of what was coming. The ghost of the first of the darkness' victims cautiously raised her hand to test the entrance and immediately pulled back upon getting shocked by the invisible barrier in place to prevent her from entering. However, the Queen's protection spell didn't matter for what Nimue had planned for them.

Five more also once claimed by the darkness joined Nimue and began to cast their own magic, summoning dark creatures living within the walls of these caves that have the ability to enter the heroes' minds to find their worst fears. Six pixies, unaffected by the light magic around them, surrounded those upon the ground and entered into their minds and within minutes, Emma, Henry, David, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Robin had fallen into a deep sleep as they began to dream what would soon become a never ending nightmare.

"Do you really suppose the dark pixies will have the power to destroy the one who escaped from us and has once again become these heroes' Savior, Dark One?" one of the others asked as she turned her head to look over at Nimue, who kept her eyes trained on Emma as the woman in love with the pirate tensed at the invasion of her mind. "The love they share is strong and she will not stop fighting to save him. She didn't give into the darkness. What match are pixies to her?"

"We must not fail," Nimue said coldly. "We will have our reckoning for Hook's betrayal when he banished us all back down here. And when we bring the Savior's body, as well as those of her family and their friends, before Hades and Hook sees she had come to try to save him and lost her life, it will break him once and for all."


	15. Chapter 15

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Fifteen

Inside Henry's mind…

 _The sorcerer's apprentice stood up and prepared to leave Henry alone again with his thoughts after patting the young man's back for being strong enough to resist the temptation of the quill by breaking it in two, then walked away. When he was gone, the fifteen year old looked around him once more to make sure he was really alone, then pulled another quill identical to Isaac's from his pocket and stared at it as if in a trance as it began to glow and whisper to him, calling on Henry to use it._

 _The quill he broke had been a decoy Henry had used the real one for to create so that the apprentice, nor his family and friends would be suspicious of him for awhile, long enough for him to decide whether or not it was wise to keep on using it. The longer he held on to it, the more it pleaded with him to use it to write. It also fed on the young man's yearning to use it to bring back his father, despite what the man had warned him of. Maybe he didn't mean that the dead couldn't be brought back, but really that they shouldn't be brought back. What harm could raising one man from death really do?_

 _"Despite the warning told to me by the sorcerer's apprentice, I, Henry Mills and new Author, resurrect Neal Cassidy my father, otherwise known as Baelfire," Henry said slowly as he finally wrote out these words on a blank page of the book of his family's stories were written in with ink left over from what his grandparents had taken away from Isaac after their misadventure the former Author had written for them._

 _The quill and ink became enacted as the young man wrote, glowing while the words came to life, and it was in that moment that his mother's office shook as a burst of light suddenly projected outward throughout the entire town, then everything became perfectly still once again as if nothing changed. Little did Henry know that something did, or that tragedy would soon come from his actions._

 _A short time later, Henry ran outside to find out what had come from his own first use of magic, just as he found that several other townsfolk had come out from their shops to see what was going on as well. The fifteen year old ignored everyone as he passed by them on his way toward the cemetery and when he reached his father's grave, there was no change. The headstone was still in place with Neal's name still engraved there, and the ground remained undisturbed._

 _"Henry!" Emma called out worryingly as she and Hook came running over to him after seeing him come running out of his other mother's office from where they were relaxing at Granny's diner. "Are you alright? What the hell just happened and why did you come running out here?"_

 _Her son looked between Emma and the man who was currently dating her, which was when he realized that maybe it really was a mistake to do what he had done, and when Hook snapped his fingers in front of Henry's face to get the boy's attention as he froze, he immediately responded, "I'm sorry, what?"_

 _Killian looked at him strangely as he asked again, "Your mother wants to know what brings you here? You wouldn't happen to know where that light came from, do you lad?"_

 _"I don't," Henry replied nervously. "I mean, maybe I do, but you wouldn't understand, neither of you."_

 _"Henry, please tell me that you didn't do whatever it is that that wave of magic just did," Emma responded again with worry in her voice. "Because I know that you know better than to mess with power you don't understand."_

 _The young man pulled away from her as he answered angrily, "Don't you get it? I had to. I've missed Dad so much. We should have found another way to bring him back a long time ago, especially when he sacrificed his life to save a villain. Why should Rumpelstiltskin get another chance to live after all the evil he's done, and not his son? And why did you just move on, with a pirate?"_

 _Emma looked up at Hook sadly as she saw the brief moment of hurt on his face until he shook it off and spoke again saying, "Perhaps it'd be best, if I leave the two of you alone, to talk without my interference. I'll be back at Granny's if you wish to see me later."_

 _"After everything Hook's done for us… He didn't deserve that, Henry," Emma stated sadly after Killian slowly walked off, then she looked at her son with worry over his strange behavior. "What has gotten into you, is it the quill? What exactly did you do?"_

 _"I brought Dad back," he replied in frustration. "I'm tired of everyone else being happy, but me. Where's my happy ending?"_

 _All of a sudden, Neal appeared from out of the woods as he made his way toward them and responded somberly, "I think, I'm right here."_

 _Henry immediately raced into his father's arms as he cried out with both joy and amazement, "Dad! I can't believe it, it worked!"_

 _"What worked?" Neal asked in confusion. "Did you… Am I really alive again?"_

 _"Yeah," the young man quickly answered as he pulled out from his father's embrace, while Emma just stared at him with disbelief. "I brought you back. I have magic of my own now, Dad. I'm the Author."_

 _Emma came out of her shock as she replied sternly, "You may have meant well, Henry, but what you've done was a mistake. Bringing someone back from the dead using magic like this surely has severe consequences. All magic has consequences. You know that just as well as I do, even more so, or so I thought."_

 _Neal looked at her sadly as he responded, "Perhaps so, but we'll deal with that when the time comes. Right now, we should be happy. We can be together again, like we always should have been. Don't you want that, Emma?"_

 _"I can't!" she exclaimed nervously. "I mean, I'm with someone now and you're not… I can't believe that you're really, you?"_

 _"You're with someone?" the man who is the Dark One's son asked coldly as his face changed from relief of being alive again to that of anger. "You mean you're with Hook, is that right?"_

 _Emma took a few steps back as she immediately grabbed Henry and pulled him back with her upon seeing the change in Neal's countenance, just when Killian suddenly appeared again from behind them and stepped out in front of Emma and Henry as he answered cautiously, also seeing the danger before him, "Aye, that she is, mate. I don't know what you are, but it's clear that you're not really the man we once knew."_

 _Just as David and Mary Margaret came running over to see what was going on, Neal was glaring at the pirate standing between him and his family as he replied, "And you're not the man I knew either it seems. Emma cares about you, maybe even loves you. I can see it in her face. Even my own son has come to care for you. Now that I'm back, I can't have you in my way."_

 _"No!" Emma shouted in shock when Neal suddenly lashed out by shoving Killian back into a tree behind him as he grabbed his hook and thrust it hard through his chest, killing him almost instantly while he collapsed to the ground. "Killian!"_

 _"How… how could you?" Henry asked his father fearfully when Emma raced to Hook's body as she pulled the man she had already watched die once earlier that day into her arms and wept openly while she held him close. "This isn't what should have happened. The magic was supposed to bring my dad back, not a monster!"_

 _Charming quickly raised his gun and aimed it at Hook's killer as he called out to him saying, "Get on your knees! You're under arrest."_

 _Snow rushed to her daughter's side and held her as they watched the standoff between David and Neal who swiftly blasted everyone, but Emma to the ground with a wave of his hands, magic somehow flowing from them as he walked to stand over the woman he loved and grabbed her by her throat, choking her with more strength than an ordinary man with no magic should have had._

 _Before Emma blacked out as he slowly killed her, Neal leaned in close and whispered cruelly into her ear, "I loved you with all that I had and yet you chose him over me, a pirate! I should have killed Hook back in Neverland. If I had, it wouldn't have to be like this. I'm sorry, Emma."_


	16. Chapter 16

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Sixteen

When Killian awoke, having no concept of how long he had been unconscious, he weakly raised his head and struggled to move only to find that he couldn't, as his arms were strung up tightly by golden shackles at his sides, the power wielding chains hanging down from as far above him as he could see. Like when he had been chained down before, he found that he had once again been forced down onto his knees, this time having been stripped of his leather jacket, shirt, and boots, wearing only his pants.

While seated upon his throne, Hades was waiting impatiently for his fun to begin again as he stared at the pirate captain kneeling helpless before him. Hook could still feel the pain from his earlier torment, but it had subsided a little thanks to the rest and brief reprieve he had been granted with help from Merlin.

It wasn't long after he had woken that Hook suddenly remembered the horrible sight of the death and destruction that he may or may not have caused in the world he had been torn from as he died. Killian didn't remember Rumpelstiltskin appearing before him, but he did remember the false memories which the villain had forced into his mind and he realized that he no longer knew what was real and what wasn't. Had he actually destroyed the darkness as the sorcerer had tried to show him, or was the fear he had seen within the hollow that he was no longer in the truth? Did he become the monster he always feared he was once again?

Hades smiled when he noticed the pirate was awake and stepped down from his throne, then spoke up first saying, "I've got to hand it to you, Captain, you are tougher than I expected you to be. If I was in your shoes, and I had been tormented by the women I loved, I might have crumbled to pieces, but not you."

With as much strength as he could muster, trying not to appear afraid or weak before the God, Killian raised his head, but refused to look at the immortal slowly circling around him as he answered boldly, "It was Nimue who came to me disguised as Emma. I never once believed she was really there. And what the centuries of being trapped within this hell have turned Milah into may pain my soul, but I never cower before the villains, whose paths cross my own. That includes you."

"It appears I've been too easy on you," Hades responded coldly as he stopped moving around, then knelt down before his prisoner and roughly grabbed his chin once again in order to get Killian to look at him. "Seeing the tormented soul, your beloved Milah has become has shaken you, but I realized that it will take both physical and mental torture to break you once and for all. And I believe I know exactly how to go about it."

"I've found them, Hades," Milah said without any emotion as she walked into the cavern and stood beside the God while she stared down cruelly at the man she had once loved until his betrayal. "They were only too happy to learn that the man responsible for them being trapped here as well, is finally in Hell where he belongs."

Hook looked up at her sadly as he replied, "Milah, I can't apologize enough for what I've done to you, but don't let your hate for me extinguish the strong, loving woman I know you really are. She is still inside you."

She suddenly backhanded Hook hard across his face, causing him to cry out as he collapsed as far to the ground as he could while the shackles placed an unbearable strain throughout his body, then she answered, "You're wrong. You destroyed that woman you knew those centuries ago, just as you've destroyed countless other lives, including those of your own family."

"She's right," another familiar voice responded as two more souls walked into the room from behind him, then moved to stand before him as Milah and Hades were. "Do you remember my final words to you, Killian?"

"Father?" Hook stated fearfully upon seeing the man he had killed because he had abandoned him to the life of servitude, seeing the same fire in his eyes as he himself had when he thrust his dagger through his father's chest.

The man glared at his son as he replied, "That's right. Do you remember? I told you, it's never too late. I told you that you could change and be a different man. You may have tried, but in the end, you failed. And of course, you wouldn't recognize my other son here, my son of only ten years of age when you first saw him, whom you made an orphan that night after you stole my life. He lived to be a man, but because he also grew up without a father as you did, Liam became a cold blooded assassin for hire. He murdered men and women, no matter if they were guilty or innocent. He became a man I was ashamed of, but I didn't blame him. I couldn't blame him. I blame you, Killian."

The younger Liam continued, "I became a monster just as you had, brother. And I liked it, but when I was killed myself, murdered by a woman I had foolishly allowed myself to believe loved me, my soul became imprisoned down here in the Underworld where I found my father at last. It wasn't until then that I knew what became of him. Now, I have a chance to make you suffer for taking him from me."

"We will all get the chance to make you suffer for damning us to Hell, as you have damned yourself and your older brother Liam too no doubt," Brennan Jones added cruelly.

"Liam was a good man," Killian answered when all of a sudden, his father pulled back his head roughly as he grabbed him by his hair, then gripped his chin as well in order to force him to look into his eyes, but Hook held firm while he continued to speak of his brother. "If he's anywhere around here, surely this God you've clearly become so loyal to would have granted him passage into wherever the hell it is the good souls are sent."

Hades finally spoke up again as he looked between the three souls he brought in to help him torment his prisoner, saying, "Unfortunately, he's right. Your oldest son is the one of you Jones boys that didn't wind up here with me."

Brennan nodded, then turned back to his middle son as the younger Liam responded eagerly, "That doesn't matter now. I don't want to talk anymore, least of all about the man I was named for, or about anything else, unless it's to punish this pirate who made me the man I have become. It's time to get this started!"

"Take it easy, take it easy," the immortal replied smugly. "We have plenty of time to enjoy this. You see, Killian? It's because of people like your father and younger brother here, as well as your former flame, that I love my job, or at least, can tolerate my job. It's terrible really, but watching as once good men and women with regrets in life become twisted and slowly become vile creatures of this hellhole, make it all worth it."

"Ah… the others we've been waiting on to join us have finally arrived," Hades said again with a smile when more villains from Killian's past, as well as those who wished revenge on him for crossing them, walked in and surrounded Hook; villains including Peter Pan, Cora, Cruella De Vil, Greg and Tamara, the man Barnaby he had killed just for calling him One Hand Jones, and Edgar, whom he had killed simply for drinking the captain's wine. "I believe you remember each and every one of them. And they all can't wait to see you suffer, Captain. Let's begin."

Pan stepped forward first, a smug smile adorning his face as he knelt down before the pirate Captain he once enjoyed tormenting during the century they had spent fighting each other while in Neverland, then again when Hook had come back with Emma and the rest of the heroes to rescue Henry.

Hook glared coldly at the boy as Peter came into his line of sight, then spoke up as he gloated, "You know, Captain, I thought I loved the look of guilt and defeat on your face back whenever I reminded you of the man you really are, but I think I love this look on you even more. You may have won Emma's love up there, but now you see that it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to keep you from becoming the very monster my son was. Rumpelstiltskin won after all. And because he did, so did I."

Killian's confidence was shaken and the truth was, he didn't really know what to believe anymore, but he refused to show it in front of his tormentors before him as he answered, "I am not anything like that Crocodile, or you. No matter what it is you lot are trying to get me to believe, I defeated the Dark Ones. And I proved to Emma I was worthy of her love. There is nothing that you or anyone, can say to convince me otherwise."

"You're lying," Peter stated arrogantly as he raised his hand to touch Hook's forehead, then forced another memory into his mind. "You really believe that you're worthy of the Savior's love, Killian? See if you feel that way once I remind of this."

 _"I only did what you asked so I could rid myself of that cursed hand, so I could become a better man," Killian said to Rumpelstiltskin coldly as he stood before the villain inside his shop after Gold had tricked him into helping him rid himself of the sorcerer's apprentice. "Emma will understand that."_

 _Mr. Gold simply responded, "Even when she finds out the truth?"_

 _Hook looked confused as he asked, "What truth?"_

 _"This hand isn't cursed," the monster replied._

 _"No, you said..." the pirate tried to state in objection until the Dark One cut him off again._

 _He interrupted, "You were right. Dark one lies. Dark one tricks. This hand is nothing but a lump of flesh. The only thing it did was give you permission, permission to be the man you really are. Not some puppy dog chasing after the object of his affection, but a ruthless pirate who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I did you a favor. I helped you remember the darkness that lies beneath."_

 _Captain Hook glared at the villain as he answered angrily, "Then you know that that darkness will have no problem crushing Belle's heart."_

 _"If you go after my love., you will surely lose yours," Gold responded cruelly. "You threatened my marriage, tried to destroy the only light in my life, and for that, you will owe me as long as you live."_

 _"What if I'm willing to take you down with me?" Killian asked again._

 _Finally, Rumpelstiltskin smiled and then replied, "I think... I know you better than you know yourself, dearie."_

When the memory finished and Pan released his hold on the bound man on his knees before him, Killian lowered his head down to his chest upon feeling the shame of his actions, then the boy spoke up again saying, "If I recall, thanks to some help from the fates you first met when you arrived down here in this dark Hell, I believe you had already begun to date Emma when this conversation between you and my son occurred. She was already beginning to fall for your arrogant charm, but you still allowed yourself to become pulled back into the darkness of who you really are. It was already inside of you long before the darkness of the Dark Ones came to you. How do you think Emma would react if she were to learn of this secret of yours?"

It was then that Hades handed Peter Pan a small branch from off of a plant from the world above, a device of torture as he had done for Milah, then the boy took it eagerly as he reached out to pull Killian's head up in order to get him to look at him as he did what he was about to do.

"You do recognize this, don't you, Hook?" the villain asked as he scratched one of its thorns deeply along one of Killian's exposed arms, causing the poison to spread into dark, sickly striations. "It's the very dreamshade plant that killed Liam."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hades said as Killian gasped as his agony began again. "The dreamshade I mean. You're already dead, so obviously the poison won't work the same as it did on your brother, but I thought this would be another perfect form of torture for one of my favorite pets. It's barely begun, and I'm already having a marvelous time. The dreamshade can't kill you, but it can make you feel the same way Liam felt as he died, until I'm ready to release you from its pain. And that depends on you, Captain."


	17. Chapter 17

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Seventeen

Inside Mary Margaret's Mind…

" _Well, well, well... Isn't this my lucky day?" Regina, as the Evil Queen, asked with cruel glee while under the curse of shattered sight placed on all of Storybrooke by the Snow Queen, as she walked into the sheriff station and found her two greatest enemies both locked up within the cells, while completely ignoring the other two strangers to their town standing nearby. "I had come here to kill Emma, but now I get to kill the two idiots who started it all."_

 _"Hey, I wasn't the one that told Cora about your secret boyfriend." David replied haughtily as he looked over at his wife to indicate her._

 _Mary Margaret glared at him as she asked with disdain, "Are you selling me out?"_

 _Regina sneered coldly, "Shut up! You both deserve to die. Not just for what you did, but for your whining. But your punishments should fit your crimes."_

 _"Mary Margaret, you took my first true love from me," the Queen continued as she glared at the woman she hated until she turned and slowly approached the carriage while making the royals from Arendelle disappear in a cloud of smoke. "Now I'm going to return the favor by taking your baby."_

 _"No!" Snow cried fearfully, knowing there was nothing she could do, but beg the evil woman not to._

 _Charming called out to her shouting, "Regina!"_

 _Once the others were gone, Regina used her magic to unlock the cell Mary Margaret was in as she answered, "Where was I?"_

 _"Gonna use your magic, Regina?" Neal's mother asked without feeling as she glared at the Evil Queen while remaining within the cell for the moment. "You afraid to get your hands dirty?"_

 _"I don't need magic to kill you," Regina responded cruelly as she made a sword appear in Mary Margaret's right hand, as well as one within her own, then watched as Snow bravely approached her with her weapon raised, prepared to fight. "Magic is too good for you. I want to watch you bleed."_

 _Both the Queen and the Princess began to fight and while he watched them helplessly from his own cell that remained locked, David remained quiet until Regina knocked his wife back against the desk, causing the phone to crash onto the floor, then called out again, "Careful! The stroller's not under warranty anymore!"_

 _Mary Margaret kept trying to hold off Regina as she kept the woman who ruined her life pinned down, trying to kill Snow with her blade as Snow replied to David's senseless remark, "You said you bought it new!"_

 _"It was gently used!" he answered as the former bandit finally managed to knock Regina back and swung her sword at the woman trying to kill her._

 _"Let me know when you're tired of missing, Mary Margaret," Regina snarled again._

 _Snow immediately responded, "I only have to hit you once."_

 _It was then that the Evil Queen knocked Mary Margaret to the ground and she quickly rose back up in order to continue to fight. David tried to intervene to help the woman he didn't remember he loved at the time as he grabbed Regina's wrist to get her to drop the weapon, but in doing, Regina was able to knock Snow down once more, then turned back to their baby, who was still sleeping inside his stroller, completely undisturbed by the battle taking place all around him._

 _While the mother struggled to catch her breath, Regina stared down at the baby as she approached him and said, "My, my. Aren't you a good a sleeper?"_

 _"You think this spell has made me angry?" Snow cried out as she charged the Queen again, causing them both to fly over the top of the desk and land heavily on the floor, both hero and villain unarmed now. "Do not wake my baby!"_

 _"You said no magic!" Mary Margaret stated as she slowly began to back away from Regina after the woman dressed in her fancy gown suddenly catapulted her backward and to the floor again with an invisible force._

 _It was then the memory changed within the dream when Regina raised her hand to ignite a flame, then swiftly sent it directly at David as she shouted back angrily, "And you said you could keep a secret!"_

 _The Prince suddenly became engulfed by the fireball, the flame killing him instantly as the fire disappeared and nothing else, but ash remained where Mary Margaret's husband once stood. Snow cried out his name impulsively, then turned back to the evil women standing before her with a look of cruel delight on her face and slowly bent down to pick up her sword once again to continue their fight, except that Regina simply forced her enemy back against the cell bars behind her, making her completely defenseless and unable to break free._

 _The Princess' eyes softened as she breathed in and out to try to calm down, then she spoke up again saying, "Regina, I was only ten. So you killed the man I suppose I used to love, just like you claim I killed the man you loved way back when. Are you ready to end this now? You made me pay. I've had enough of this!"_

 _"No," the villain muttered cruelly. "I may have killed your once true love, but so long as we're under this curse, we both know that the only thing you really care about are your children. I'm going to take this baby away from you and raise him as my own son, but first… I am going to go out to find Emma, that wretched daughter of yours, and I will kill her as I should have done a long time ago, before she ruined everything for me. Henry and Neal are mine and now, you are finally going to be alone to suffer the rest of your days within this God forsaken Hell I created for you. I hope you got the chance to say goodbye. You will never see your loved ones again."_

 _"Neal!" Mary Margaret cried out fearfully as Regina suddenly disappeared in a purple cloud of smoke with her son within her arms, laughing manically. "Regina, come back! Please! Regina!"_


	18. Chapter 18

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Eighteen

Inside David's mind…

 _Back in Camelot, the heroes were all still chained to the trees standing tall behind them as they struggled to break free to help Emma against Zelena, Arthur, and now Merlin who was being controlled by the once and future King who had long since given up his fight for good and became evil in his quest for power. The bindings held firm as they were all helpless to watch the scene unfold around them as Emma glared at the enemies darkly._

 _The Wicked Witch of the West sneered at Emma as she asked smugly, "So, Dark One, who should I execute first? Hmm? Your boyfriend or your father?"_

 _Emma remained calm as she handed the small box in her hand over and responded, "You can have the flame."_

 _"Zelena, make sure that's real," the King said immediately as he watched the witch do as he ordered her to, when all of a sudden, dark ropes erupted from the box and tied Zelena to a tree, just as Merlin had done to everyone else._

 _"Now you want to give me my family, or keep fighting?" the Dark Savior asked as she turned back to face Arthur again._

 _He called out the sorcerer's name, "Merlin!"_

 _Merlin continued to look at the woman he was trying to help keep the darkness at bay as he suddenly shot a large burst of power from his hands as he attacked Emma while he pleaded, "Please, Emma. Give him the flame. This is a battle you cannot win."_

 _"I wish you could defeat me, Emma," he continued as she fought back with her own magic. "But I've played this game for too long."_

 _"Aah!" Emma cried out painfully as she lost the magical struggle and collapsed down to the ground in a heap._

 _Arthur spoke again as he raised Excalibur again and commanded, "Merlin, kill her mother."_

 _Not being able to control himself, Merlin slowly conjured a vine that began to snake around Mary Margaret's neck, causing the Princess to gasp in her own pain, while David struggled against his chains as he shouted fearfully, "Mary Margaret!"_

 _"It's no good," Robin Hood stated in frustration as he too struggled with the bindings. "They're too strong."_

 _"Keep trying," Regina replied worryingly._

 _Emma remained on the ground as she tried to help Merlin once again by saying, "You have to fight it."_

 _Mary Margaret gasped as the vine grew tighter while the sorcerer tried to fight the power Excalibur held against him as he answered, "I can't!"_

 _"You are the greatest sorcerer that has ever lived," Emma continued. "If you cannot fight off the darkness, no one can."_

 _"Aah!" he gasped, still trying to break the hold._

 _When Merlin finally succeeded and released Mary Margaret, the King raised the sword higher as he reinforced his command, "I said kill her! By the sword, I command you! Kill her!"_

 _While he struggled to keep resisting as the power of him began to grow stronger, the sorcerer said coarsely, "I can't hold him off much longer."_

 _"You... will... kill her," Arthur ordered once more, just as Killian was about to break free upon pulling off the brace he wore to hold his hook in place of his left hand, when all of a sudden, the vine swiftly wrapped around Mary Margaret's throat once again and immediately snapped her neck, the evil King's command finally being done._

 _"Snow!" Charming shouted fearfully upon watching his true love die right in front of him, while he had been helpless to save her. "You murderer! How could you do this to us? We trusted you!"_

 _Arthur ignored the man he had made a knight as he looked toward Merlin again and commanded, "Now, you will kill the rest of them as well."_

 _Hook finally broke free as he rushed forward to try to knock the sword from the King's hand until another force from the sorcerer drove him back hard into another tree as one of its branches impaled him through his lower back and out through his stomach. Emma cried out for the man she loved and raced to his side, ignoring the pain she felt from her own fight. As he struggled to look into Emma's eyes one last time, his blood poured out from the wound, then began to trickle down from the corners of his mouth until he died as she took his face in her hands until she collapsed down to the ground again and wept, trapped in disbelief that she was unable to prevent Killian's death, as well as her own mother's because she was too weak to fight against Merlin despite being the Dark One._

 _Robin was next to die as Merlin made one of the archer's arrows appear in his hand, then used his magic to project it into his chest. Regina was pissed off to say the least, but she was unable to fight back against her enemies as the magical chains firmly continued to block her own powers, especially when a fire suddenly appeared at her feet and burned hotter as the flames grew around her and engulfed her, causing her to scream in agony until she was also dead, in a very fitting way for an Evil Queen._

 _David and Emma were the only ones left and just as Merlin was about to kill her father too, Emma stood tall and moved to stand in front of David, who also had tears falling down his face as well, then raised her hands as magic burst from them again to defend all that was left of her family. Merlin defended himself as he fought against her, but then suddenly aimed her power directly at King Arthur instead and sent him flying through the air, successfully knocking Excalibur from his hands as it fell to the ground. Merlin collapsed, having used up all of his willpower to fight off the hold on him for as long as he could, then watched in horror, as did her father, while Emma levitated the sword itself into the air and forced it through Arthur's chest so that he would die almost as Killian had._

 _When the King was dead, and both of the remaining survivors looked around them as they struggled to come to terms with all the death that had occurred in that forest before them, the darkness once again suddenly surrounded the former Savior, having taken her final step into the dark, and when it dispersed, Emma's appearance was changed. Instead of her long, flowing blonde hair and white robe she wore over her gown, she was now wearing a black leather jacket and pants, her face and skin was pale, and her hair had become white as it was pulled back into a tight, braided bun on the back of her head._

 _Emma, what… what have you done?" David asked fearfully as he looked into his daughter's cold, hate filled eyes and no longer saw anything in them that belonged to the child born from true love, who had been born to save them. "Please, don't let your hate consume you. We can still…"_

 _"You're wrong!" she said angrily. "It's too late to save me now. And without Killian, I don't want to be saved. All of you, failed. Don't try to find me. I'm not the Savior any longer."_

 _"Emma?" Charming called out when she disappeared in a black cloud of smoke with Hook's body held firmly against hers, leaving her father to deal with everyone else's deaths alone. "Emma!"_


	19. Chapter 19

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Nineteen

Inside Robin's mind…

 _As the woman appearing as Robin's first love, Marian stepped back and raised the green stone she was wearing on a chain around her neck, she spoke up saying, "Actually... Not exactly. Hello, dear husband."_

 _When Marian suddenly became Zelena, just as Regina had tried to warn him of, Robin stared at the witch in shock as he stated, "No."_

 _"Come on, Robin," the woman who truly loved the archer said in frustration. "We have to get you and Roland out of here."_

 _"Robin?" the Queen requested again when he didn't make an effort to move at all, just simply looked away from both women as he struggled to process the truth. "Get Roland and let's go."_

 _Zelena smiled smugly as she looked between the man she had tricked all this time and her sister, whom she still hated, and answered, "I think he still wants to stay."_

 _Regina looked at him worryingly as she asked, "Robin, what are you doing? Get your son and let's go."_

 _"I-I can't," the archer and former thief stuttered._

 _"Yes, you can," she tried again as she took his hand to get him to move with her. "Just come with me. Come on. Let's go."_

 _Robin apologized fretfully, "I'm sorry. I can't leave her here."_

 _Regina glared at him in surprise as she questioned, "What?"_

 _"Do you want to tell her?" Zelena interrupted once again as she stepped forward while she looked smugly at the man between them and moved around to stand before her sister. "Or should I?"_

 _"Tell me what?" the Queen asked with even more frustration. "Robin?"_

 _He finally replied fearfully, "She's pregnant."_

 _Her sister cackled and then responded, "Isn't that just wonderful news? I was simply ecstatic when I heard."_

 _"You misunderstand me, Zelena," Robin answered coldly as he turned back to face the woman who destroyed his happiness back in Storybrooke with Regina. "I can't leave you here alone and go back to my life pretending that you're not going to have my child, but we can bring you back with us, where you will face… some sort of charges for your crimes, whatever they are."_

 _"Do you really think so?" the Wicked Witch of the West replied as if she knew something no one else did._

 _Emma stepped forward as she glared at the woman and said, "If you're concocting some kind of foul plan in that twisted mind of yours, don't bother. We will stop you, one way or another. You've been inside our town's jail cells before. That's going to become your home again for the foreseeable future."_

 _Regina muttered under her breath, "A jail cell is too good for her. If we're going to lock her up, then we're going to do so as we put her down with the crazies, inside the loony bin."_

 _"Not today you won't, sister," Zelena responded smugly as she suddenly placed a freezing spell on everyone except for Robin, as she walked over to stand before him. "I'm not willing to risk anything coming between me and my baby and that includes Regina, Emma, or you, darling. Now, I can't say our time together was a pleasure, but I do finally understand why my sister is so drawn to you. So, I have a proposition."_

 _"I won't do anything for you," Robin answered defiantly as she moved in closer to him. "Let them go!"_

 _She smiled and replied, "Not until you hear me out and agree. Because if you don't, not only will you never see your new baby be born, but you will also force me to kill the love of your life, just as I killed the other love of your life. I can also steal Roland away from you and raise him to be perfectly wicked."_

 _Robin looked back at his son fearfully, then turned to Regina, who he knew could still hear their entire conversation, as he whispered the words I love you to her, and finally turned back to the witch as he asked regrettably, "What do you want from me?"_

 _"I am so glad that you have come to make the right decision, Robbie darling," Zelena responded and laughed manically while she raised her arms high above her head, then cast a spell upon the archer as he became engulfed by green smoke, causing him to scream as he began to change forms. "You are going to become my slave and do for me whatever it is I need you to do. If you're a good boy, I will allow you to see your son every once in awhile and help me to raise the child we will soon have together. With our help, he or she will grow to become positively wicked just like its mother."_

 _"Robin!" Regina cried out fearfully as the smoke disappeared and a dirty monkey with wings was all that was left of the man she loved as the beast squawked wildly, then jumped out the window and flew away. "Zelena, you bitch! I promise you, I won't let you get away with this."_

 _As the Queen raised her hands, about to use her own magic against her sister, Zelena immediately stated, "Ah, ah, ah, not so fast, Regina dear. You should know one thing. If you try to use magic against me, any magic at all, you will kill him. It's my insurance so that you can't harm me. And Savior, the same applies to you as well. Robin will die whether it's light magic or dark magic used on me, and I know that neither of you can take me down without your powers. Perhaps one day, you'll get the chance to see him as a man again, but if you do, he still won't be the man you love any longer, sis. Goodbye!"_

 _As the witch disappeared within another puff of smoke, Regina tried to grab onto her before she could get away, but stopped and turned around to kneel down in front of the boy standing in the room with them when Roland began to cry as he looked up at the woman he had grown close to back in Storybrooke and asked fearfully, "Daddy? What happened to him? I want my father!"_


	20. Chapter 20

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty

Inside Regina's mind…

 _Regina appeared in the woods behind a tree within a cloud of purple smoke just in time to watch as a giant snow monster, somehow conjured up by an unknown enemy, attacked Marian as she tried to defend herself with a bow and arrow by knocking her to the ground and as she struggled to sit up, Regina slowly walked out in front of the monster, standing between him and the woman that Regina despised for coming between her and her happiness with the man she loved._

 _The Queen looked back at the others behind Marian, all of whom had been knocked unconscious, then glared down at Marian as the woman pleaded, "Please… help me."_

 _Regina looked up at the ice monster while it watched the newcomer as if waiting to see if she would attack it as well, then turned back to the woman still on the ground and smiled cruelly as she replied, "I'm afraid I can't do that this time, Marian. I am after all the monster you think I am."_

 _"No!" Marian cried out as Regina suddenly disappeared again the same way she came in, then gasped as the man of ice raised its giant foot and stomped down hard, killing the young woman from another time instantly._

 _The Queen immediately reappeared behind the snowman and used her magic to make it turn into nothing more than snowflakes, leaving behind nothing, but a few small piles of snow on the ground, then nervously looked over again at the people she had just started to come to care for as they slowly began to come to._

 _"Marian?" Robin called out upon waking up a few moments later and finding that his wife was nowhere in sight as she had been before they had been knocked out. "Marian!"_

 _Emma struggled to stand again with Hook's help as she looked over at the archer and responded, "Don't worry, Robin. We'll find her. She couldn't have gotten far."_

 _Without stepping forward, Regina spoke up saying, "I'm afraid that you won't."_

 _"Won't what?" David asked sternly as he and the others all turned to look at the Queen in confusion. "Find Marian?"_

 _"Why not?" Robin asked quickly. "Is she alright?"_

 _Regina stared at him sadly, knowing that what she was about to say would mean losing him forever, then answered coolly, "I'm afraid not. She's dead. I came to try to help, but I… I was too late. That monster killed Marian before I could stop it."_

 _Emma read the woman's facial expressions and realized that she wasn't telling them the truth, so she replied worryingly, "You're lying. What aren't you telling us?"_

 _"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble for me, Miss. Swan?" the Queen asked angrily as she glared at the woman also responsible for ruining everything. "If you and your pirate boyfriend didn't bring her back here from the past in the first place, then Marian would have died back when she was supposed to and none of this would be happening. But no, you had to go and mess everything up. And this is the consequence."_

 _"Regina, please tell me that you didn't…" Emma tried again as she slowly began to move closer until she was cut off._

 _The Queen interrupted, "Do you really want to know what happened? You're right, I am lying. And it turns out that Marian was right about me after all. I am a monster through and through. I arrived just as that snow beast attacked her and knocked her to the ground, but she would have been fine if I had interfered. I didn't. Marian stood in the way of my happiness and I wanted her dead. I'm sorry, Robin. But you were wrong when we spoke earlier in my office. You were wrong about everything. I am the Evil Queen, whom I have missed, for so, so long."_

 _Robin looked at her in anger and despair until she whisked herself away in a cloud of smoke, leaving the archer, as well as Emma, Hook, and Charming behind to try to grasp the reality that the Evil Queen was really back and that Storybrooke was soon going to be in for far more danger than that of whoever it was who conjured up the snow monster._

 _When Regina returned to her vault, she immediately changed her appearance to something more suitable to the woman she really was, then turned to face the mirror she kept close as she called out, "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who is the fairest one of all?"_

 _"I believe you already know my answer to that, my Queen," Sidney responded with a cold smile on his face as he appeared within the glass. "Snow White will always be fairer than you, as will her daughter because of their goodness, but somehow I gather that isn't the reason why you have summoned me this time. I love your new look by the way."_

 _"Thank you," she answered haughtily. "And no, I didn't bring you here to feed on my vanity."_

 _The man in the mirror looked at her as he asked, "So what is it you wish of me now? I have seen that you have already gotten rid of that woman Marian yourself. And as you've finally returned to your evilness, I imagine you have something else wonderful cooking up in that twisted mind of yours. Shall I kill the Savior for you? After all, she is the one responsible for bringing that woman back from the past in the first place and making you miserable."_

 _Regina snarled and replied, "Her and that filthy pirate who thinks he's become a hero like the rest of them. I'm not miserable, not anymore. I may have lost the man I love once again, but I fooled myself into believing that I could be happy trying to be as good as the rest of these people in this blasted town. I was never more wrong. And now I am finally back to being who I am meant to be. It feels wonderful!"_

 _"I am happy to hear you say that," Sidney responded as he smiled at the woman in front of him. "I feared that you would never release me from that prison down in the loony bin. So again, what is it you wish for me to do for you?"_

 _"What else?" the Evil Queen answered smugly. "I am going to make each and every one of those heroes suffer for crossing me one too many times. And we'll begin… with the Savior. I want her to learn what happens when she messes with time itself. I'm going to take away her happiness by killing Hook, just as she destroyed my chance to love Robin. Then, I will kill her, which will make Snow White and Prince Charming suffer as well."_

 _Sidney asked again, "Would you like me to kill the pirate for you? You know I am an excellent assassin."_

 _Regina smiled as she turned to the mixed ingredients on the table behind her, then spoke up again saying cruelly, "No, in fact I have something much better. Do you suppose you could still reopen my sister's time portal? I wish to go back to collect someone who will help me to tear them both apart first. Sidney, I need you to show me the moment that Captain Hook lost his first love and Rumpelstiltskin's wife, Milah. She may have died, and I can still see to it that she does for both men so that their own pasts don't change, but I will need her here in this time too. She will be integral to my plan. Emma brought back Robin's past love, so I will bring back his."_


	21. Chapter 21

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-One

Back inside the Sheriff's station in Storybrooke…

Not more than a few hours after Leroy and a few more of the dwarfs brought Hook's first mate, Smee in and placed him inside the empty cell beside the one already occupied by the treacherous King from another land, Granny walked in with a few bags containing the prisoners' meals for the evening. She handed the bags off to August, who was taking his turn keeping an eye on Arthur while the sheriffs were both off on their dangerous rescue mission, along with the rest of the most powerful people of their town, then she patted the young man on the shoulder when she could see that he appeared worried.

"Talk to me, kid," she said kindly. "What's eating you?"

"It's nothing really," he responded quietly as he took a quick glance at both Arthur and Smee to see if they were listening at all, and even though the King was trying, August turned back to look up at the old woman standing over him while he remained sitting in the chair at the desk. "I mean, it's just that I should be down there with them, helping them save Hook. Emma didn't even ask me."

Granny sat down on the corner of the desk as she answered, "I don't think she didn't ask you because she didn't want you to join them. I think that she's still just worried about you, that's all."

The man who was once a wooden boy scoffed and replied, "But that's ridiculous. I'm fully healed now and she knows that. I mean, I may have no powers, but after all she did to help me when I was in trouble, I should be there for her."

"You have to understand, August," she responded calmly. "Emma just got back from being the Dark One and lost the love of her life. She's hurting terribly. I am certain that it didn't even cross her mind to ask you if you would be willing to risk your life all over again to go down into the Underworld to try to bring Hook back."

"Did you just say that that bastard of a pirate is dead?" Arthur asked cruelly as he stood up from the bed on which he had been laying on, then began to laugh. "Good. It's the least that so called Savior of yours deserves."

August immediately stood and reached through the bars of the King's cell as he swiftly grabbed hold of Arthur, then pulled him roughly up against them and said coldly, "You won't talk about Emma that way, or Hook either. They both sacrificed everything they had to save us all, including you from your own trip to Hell. That pirate, has more honor than you ever had or ever will."

Granny moved closer to the cells herself as she stated in agreement, "That's right! You may be the King of Camelot, but Camelot is far away from here. Here in Storybrooke, you're nothing, but a peasant. A peasant and a murderer."

"Maybe so, but eventually you all are going to have to send me back to my world and once I return, I will be King again," Arthur answered smugly as he pulled free from the man's grasp, then moved away from the bars to sit back down on the bed. "At least I get to go home with the satisfaction of knowing that something good did come out of all this after all."

"You obviously didn't hear the last part of our conversation," August responded as he glared at the prisoner, then gave a small smile. "They've gone down to the Underworld to bring Hook back. You've seen the kind of magic we're all capable of here and you know of the kind of magic that exists in the world around us. Do you really believe that they'll fail?"

The prisoner scowled and then finally spoke again saying, "Emma Swan lost herself to the darkness right here in your very own world, then became worse the longer it remained inside of her, and she was your Savior. She may have been saved, but now she's going down into Hell itself to try to save a man, whom it's obvious she got killed. Merlin once told me a long time ago that to bring someone back from the dead is nearly impossible and if one does succeed, that person will be changed. Do you really believe he'll be the same man, that she'll be the same woman when she discovers he's no longer the man she loves?"

Granny grabbed the keys from the desk drawer and unlocked the small opening in the cell doors, then pushed a bag inside for both the King and the pirate, who was now fully awake and intrigued by the conversation taking place around him. Once the food was dispensed, she locked the latches again, then handed the keys back to August and looked at him with softness in her eyes.

Before she left the station, the older woman stated once more, "Don't you listen to anything either one of these good for nothing murderers say. Everything's going to be okay, honey. You'll see. Now, there's some dinner here for you too, much better than what I've brought for them two. Eat up. You're getting far too skinny."

"Thank you, Granny," the young man answered, then watched her start to walk away as he called out to her before she could leave for good. "If you see Leroy or any of the other dwarfs out there somewhere, ask them to bring a couple of gags! I don't want to have to listen to his royal highness any longer."

Ignoring the jibe, Arthur turned to look at the man in cell beside his and asked curtly, "So what are you in here for? They said something about you trying to kill someone. Who?"

Smee glared at the man as he asked, "What's it matter to you, who I killed or didn't kill?"

"It doesn't matter," Arthur replied as he stood and moved to stand as close to his inmate as he could, then continued quietly so that Smee was the only one who could hear him. "It's just… if you really have no problem with killing anyone, then perhaps the two of us could find a way out of here. And when we get back to Camelot, your life will be far better off than it would be if you were to remain here. What do you think?"

"I'd say that I assure you I've killed plenty in my life," the first mate said coldly. "But I'm in here now, because I tried to destroy this town's heroes only chance to save the life of the very man you two were just talking about, my own Captain. I tried to light his body on fire. I might have failed, but I think you and I could be great allies."

Inside Regina's vault…

Ever since Smee had been arrested, Mother Superior and Tinker Bell remained behind with their friend's crypt in hope of finding answers that would explain how whatever was happening to Hook's soul down in the Underworld was also happening to his body within their own realm. The burn on his arm was no longer the only wound that magically appeared. It wasn't much later when dark striations much like the kind Tinker Bell knew came from the dreamshade plants in Neverland began to grow along his other arm after a deep gash appeared as well.

Blue gently lifted his arm to observe strange markings more closely as she spoke up saying, "You know about the effects of dreamshade better than anyone here, Tink. What can you tell me about it?"

The Green Fairy removed a strand of hair from over the Captain's eye as she stared down at his lifeless body and responded sadly, "Actually, he's the one who understands the plant's effects better than anyone, other than Pan of course. Dreamshade is the very poison that killed his brother. He let that little fact slip one night in a drunken stupor I found him in. He never knew that I knew. But from what I do know about it, dreamshade is slow acting, extremely painful, and incurable, unless one drinks from the waters that come from a magical spring that gives all of Neverland life."

"It's truly a powerful weapon, should it fall into the wrong hands," Mother Superior answered. "Thank goodness it's only a plant that grows in another realm."

"What I don't understand is, why would someone down in the Underworld, use a plant from our world to torture someone with?" Green asked in frustration. "I mean, Hook is already dead and poison is meant to kill, so how can it actually work on a person's soul? Never mind for now how the wounds he's sustaining down there are being transferred to his body."

The Blue Fairy placed her hand over the jagged cut the poison was spreading from, then concentrated hard to see if she could heal it, but when she failed to be able to do so, she replied worryingly, "I'm afraid I have no answers for either of those questions. I just tried my most powerful healing spell and I've so far been unable to heal either of his wounds, nor can I heal the wounds he sustained from Excalibur while in Camelot."

However, it was then that the striations slowly began to fade as another wound made by a dagger appeared on his chest, which was uncovered while the fairies examined him, as Tinker Bell immediately spoke up saying, "They're gone. I'm worried, Blue. Emma cast a preservation spell over his body to keep it from decaying or from being damaged, but that obviously doesn't apply to the torment he's suffering from while down there. What if the damage becomes too much? What if, when they return with his soul, there won't be a body for him to return to?"

"We can't give up," the wiser of all the fairies said with confidence. "There's always a way."

"I hope so," Tink stated.


	22. Chapter 22

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-Two

A few moments after the Dark Ones cast their spells over the dark pixies to get them to trap the heroes within their own minds, a black cloud emanated before them as Rumpelstiltskin suddenly appeared and walked over to the cavern entrance to observe the former Dark Ones' attempt to destroy them, then said smugly, "I've got to say, I do love the idea of seeing our enemies become lost to their own nightmares, dearies. However, might I make a small suggestion?"

Nimue glared at the villain the darkness had chosen to become tethered to once more as she answered, "The pixies have already begun their dark magic. There's no stopping it now."

"Yes, but you are the ones guiding them, are you not?" he asked again. "I believe there is a far more devious way to destroy the Savior. Why not show Miss. Swan, the kind of torment the pirate she has foolishly come to rescue is suffering at this very moment, while she is completely powerless to stop it. I saw how she mourned his death. Surely seeing him suffer because of her own actions will break her as we all wish to see."

"You truly are worthy of being our successor, Dark One," Nimue responded with a cruel smile, then went on to adjust the spell over the mischievous creature inside the Savior's mind. "It is done."

Rumpelstiltskin laughed and then replied, "Marvelous! You may have failed when you entrusted your freedom to Hook, but if you succeed this time, you will soon be among the living again and free to help me gain all the power we so rightfully deserve. Do enjoy watching their misery. I wish I could stay, but I'm afraid I have someone to see before I find my way out."

Inside Emma's mind…

 _Emma suddenly bolted awake from another nightmare and as she looked around her to make sure that her family and friends were still safe, she found herself completely alone and within a different cavern that she didn't recall falling asleep in in the first place, then called out worryingly, "Hello? Mom! Dad! Henry! Where is everyone?"_

 _"Well, well, well… Hello again darling," a familiar voice spoke out from the darkness until the room suddenly lit up as the torches along the walls caught fire, revealing the ghosts of villains Emma recognized immediately as they surrounded something or someone within their circle, the voice she heard coming from Cruella De Vil, though she realized the evil woman wasn't speaking to her, but to whomever it was they were torturing. "It is marvelous to see the man the vile Savior once loved down here among the rest of us. Tell me, Captain, would it pain her terribly to see you now, to see her pirate in such a pitiful sight?"_

 _"Killian!" Emma cried out in fear when the vile souls before her parted enough to reveal Hook shackled by his arms and forced to his knees between his tormentors, visibly shaking in agony from the black, twisted striations covering his bare arms and chest while his head hung low._

 _The Savior raised her arms to fire a blast of magic from her hands to knock them all away from the man she loved until she was immediately pulled back by her own chains that appeared from nowhere, stringing her up above the ground as she struggled against them, while she shouted, "Hook! Killian! Get away from him!"_

 _When she realized that no one could see or hear her, Emma could do nothing, but watch helplessly as a man, she didn't know was Hook's own father, knelt down and swiftly stabbed a dagger into Killian's chest, causing him to cry out as the man held the weapon in place while the striations slowly drained from his body and into the blade._

 _The torturer forced Killian to look at him, except for when he squeezed his eyes shut on account of the pain, as Brennan pulled his son's head up again by his hair, then stated maliciously, "It's time for your next form of punishment to begin and we can't have you too weak or unconscious for the fun. This blade isn't the same dagger you used to kill me all those years ago, but Hades had it forged for me, so that I can make you feel exactly as I felt before I died, slowly and in agony."_

 _"I know the kind of man I was when I died, Killian," his father continued after he finally pulled the dagger free, but kept his hold on his head. "It was cruel to abandon you and your brother without so much as an explanation as to why I did what I did, cruel to trade you both into that soldier's service after I lied to you saying that you wouldn't have to worry about a thing. But I was not that man anymore when you stole my life from me and ruined my son's life after that night."_

 _"I… was blinded by my ha… hate, by my anger when I saw that you… had found a way… to be hap… happy after what you did," Killian answered weakly. "I make no excuse. But it appears you haven't changed… as much as you believed either. Not if you found… yourself trapped down in the Underworld… working in service for Hades. Irony… is the only word that comes to mind when I... look at you now, father."_

 _Tears fell down her cheeks from her eyes as Emma watched and listened to the scene before her fearfully, especially upon learning who this man tormenting Killian was, then Cruella stepped forward to stand beside Brennan as she responded, "Come now, are you really going to allow this pirate to speak to you in this manner? You must snuff out his bravado, darling. When I made my kills, back before that blasted Author took from me my one joy in life, I waited until they were nothing more than a sniveling mess before I stole their lives. Poison was my choice of weapon, but when my mother's husbands all realized what I had done to them, while I stood before them and watched as they pleaded for my help when the pain rose upon them… My was it beautiful. I never felt so much power, not even when I received the Author's gift of control over animals and wild beasts."_

 _It was then that Cora spoke as she replied, "And exactly how is it you plan to torment the Captain here, Cruella? Exactly what is it that he did to you?"_

 _"Nothing, but that wretched Savior did and as soon as I heard that the love of her life had died and wound up down here with us, I knew I had to come and join in on the fun," she answered. "If only she could be here to watch his suffering."_

 _"Perhaps that isn't such an impossibility," Hades responded, though Emma didn't recognize the man in the suit, let alone see him to be a God either._

 _Finally, Cruella pulled out what appeared to be an electrified whip, but as soon as she made the first strike across his back, causing Hook to cry out again as the burst of pain hit him like a wave and left behind a strange lash, it was then that the voice Emma had heard earlier sounded again as the room suddenly became dark and the horrifying scene before her disappeared, as did the shackles that bound her._

 _After collapsing hard to the ground, Emma struggled to sit up, but remained on the ground while she wept until Hook's voice drew closer when he suddenly appeared behind her, as did the rooftop of Storybrooke's library around them, as he called out gently, "Emma."_

 _She spun around and stared in shock at the man she loved now standing over her until she struggled to stand and rushed toward him to pull him into her arms, only to stumble right through him as he looked back at her sadly and said, "I'm afraid I'm not really here with you, love. I'm only a shadow, the part of you that urges you to keep fighting and to stay strong. And this is meant to be a place of peace, to help you to find the strength you need to push forward and fight your way back to where your family needs you. They've fallen under powerful magic, as have you, but as Savior, you can break free. And you can help them to as well."_

 _"That's why I was helpless to help you… Killian," Emma replied upon realization as his words sunk in. "Why I wasn't seen or heard. Whoever put us under their magic wants us to become lost in our dreams until they become our reality. How do I do it?"_

 _"You already know how," he answered confidently, just as the real man she loved would, which made her ache for him even more. "Don't think of all that you were forced to watch just now. Don't think of his agony, but think of your love for him. Think of the love you have for your family, and for Regina and Robin as well."_

 _Emma's hand shook while she reached out and slowly began to trace the outline of his face as she responded, "Promise me that you won't leave me. I told you once that I couldn't lose you and in return, you told me that you were a survivor. I need you to prove that to me now more than ever."_

 _Killian's shadow smiled and leaned in as if to kiss her, then whispered, "True love is the strongest magic there is. He may have forgotten and feels unworthy of your love, but so long as you keep fighting to save him and help him to remember, then you will have the power you need to defeat the evil that exists here. Don't give up, Emma. You're stronger than you will ever know."_

"Killian!" she cried out when she suddenly burst awake and found herself back within the hollow where Henry, her parents, Regina, and Robin were all still sleeping, still trapped within their own nightmares as her vision of Hook told her they would be, then she immediately made her way over to her son to help him. "Henry? Come on, please come back to me."

It took a few moments before she knew what she needed to do as Emma gently laid her hand down on his forehead, and did the same for Regina, then concentrated as she allowed her own magic to flow through her and into them. It didn't take long before both of them gasped as they awoke as she had, then turned to look at the Savior in confusion while they struggled to get their breath back.

The Queen finally asked, "What the hell was that? Did I…?"

Emma quickly responded, "It was only a nightmare, one that you were trapped in because of powerful magic. I'll explain later, but right now you need to help Robin. Do the same for him as I just did for you. Think of your love for him."

"Emma!" David cried out after a few minutes as both he and Mary Margaret suddenly awoke as she and the others had, while Regina pulled Robin into her arms when he too came out from under the magic cast upon him. "Emma, is that… are you really you?"

"Who else would I be?" the blonde woman sitting in front of her parents asked in confusion.

David reached out to touch his daughter's face and laughed upon realizing that he had been trapped within a dream somehow, then spoke up again asking, "How did that happen? I was trapped…"

Regina finished for him, "Within a nightmare. We were all trapped within nightmares, but somehow Miss. Swan was able to wake from hers, then helped us to do the same."

"I saw Killian again," Emma replied as everyone turned to look at her. "I don't know how, but… I mean it wasn't him, but a shadow of him, just like before when I heard his voice. He told me that he was the part of myself that kept me fighting and encouraged me to stay strong."

"Your light magic is manifesting itself through you in the form of the one person you love most, to help remind you of how powerful you really are," Snow exclaimed with a smile. "To remind you that you are our Savior and not what the darkness that fell over you wanted you to believe. And you saved us."

Henry quickly added, "Way to go, Mom."

Regina looked over at her son as she asked, "What was it you saw in your dream? Did it become a nightmare?"

"I dreamt that I used the quill I received after becoming the Author to bring back Dad, but when I did… let's just say that I was right to destroy it," Henry answered fearfully. "Using the quill is too much of a temptation. What about you, Mom?"

"I became the Evil Queen again," Regina responded coldly. "She'll always be a part of me and it's my worst fear that I will become her again."

Robin reached up to put his hand gently over her cheek as he replied, "She might be a part of you, but you'll never be her again. I know you, Regina. You're goodness, is far stronger."

Emma helped her parents to stand from the ground, while Henry reached out to help his other mother and Robin up as well, then Emma cut in as she stated, "I'm afraid that our sharing time will have to wait. I'd like to hear all about it, but Killian needs us. It was what I saw. I guess my nightmare wasn't just a nightmare, but more like a vision. I was forced to watch as his father and Cruella tortured him."

"His father?" Charming asked in concern. "Why would his father…?"

"You heard what Regina said to Hook before he came back to us, just before he sacrificed himself to save us," Emma answered as Regina removed the spell she cast around them for protection. "Killian might have killed him when he was a villain, but his father was worse. And Cruella was there as well, as were Cora, Pan, Greg and Tamara, as well as several others I didn't recognize."

Mary Margaret looked at her daughter determinedly as she responded, "Well then, let's not take any more time standing around here. We're going to find him, Emma. Very soon now, I'm sure of it."

Regina and Robin followed after the others as she replied, "I agree with your mother, Emma, but you seem to be forgetting something very important here. None of us know who it was, or what it was, that placed us under whatever spell that was."

"I realize that, but they're gone now and we're all okay," the Savior answered. "Like the furies as well as any of the other demons and villains we've come across already, we'll deal with them if they come to try again."

"She's right," David responded in agreement. "Finding Hook is our priority and when we're attacked next, we'll be ready."

Regina asked skeptically, "Do you really believe that, or are you just trying to sound hopeful, for the rest of our sakes?"

Mary Margaret smiled as she replied, "What do you think? It's as Emma said, hope is in our blood. And we are never going to stop, even when we come up against Hades himself."


	23. Chapter 23

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rumpelstiltskin cautiously made his way through the depths of the Underworld in search for the passage to the Elysian Fields, hoping to get the chance to see his son for one final time before he found his escape. When he finally arrived and stood outside of the entrance, Rumple reached out his hand before trying to enter, but as he expected, there was a barrier in place meant to keep out the souls that didn't deserve to be there. Because he himself was alive, as well as was a villain, entry was not permitted for him.

"If you want the chance to see Baelfire again, you won't be able to do so that way," the boy who was his father said with scorn from behind him. "We villains don't get our happy endings, remember?"

"I should have known that I would have run into you sooner or later while down here," the Dark One replied coolly as he slowly turned around to look at another of his enemies. "And how is it that you knew where to come and find me?"

Pan grinned as he answered, "Because I know that on some twisted level, you still love your son and that if there was ever one other person aside from that pretty little wife of yours who could make you change your vile ways, it was him. At least, until recently."

Rumpelstiltskin glared at him and sneered as he responded, "The darkness was pulled from my body back when it was blackening my heart so that death would come for me, but now it has been restored, back to its rightful heir again, and if you think for a moment, that I have any weakness left in me still, you are surely mistaken. I am far more powerful than I ever was before."

"And yet you are standing here longing to see the boy who made you weak, not to mention the fact that you are still trapped down here, with no way of escape," Peter replied smugly. "What exactly do you plan to do about that?"

"Don't you worry about that," Rumple answered coldly. "I know the opportunity will present itself, in time. Which is why I'm here now."

Peter responded cruelly, "All of the power of all the Dark Ones, and there is still nothing you can do to get inside. The only way you will see Baelfire again, is if he were to come out, which you and I both know will not happen, at least not for you."

An idea came to his mind as Gold looked at his father and asked quickly, "Wait, are you saying what it is I think you're saying?"

"All of the good souls that gain passage in there have turned a blind eye to what is happening around the rest of the Underworld," the boy continued. "They have the ability to see if they wish, but they choose to remain ignorant so that their eternal happiness isn't tarnished in any way. If you can find a way to at least get a message to him, show him a real reason to come out for a short time, then perhaps you might get the opportunity to say goodbye to him after all."

"He wouldn't come out to see me after all I've done, but if he were to learn that Miss. Swan was here…" the Dark One stated. "Bae would surely risk leaving paradise to help the woman he loved, even if it was also to help that pirate that won her heart as well. A message I can do. Why exactly are you helping me? If you think that I'm going to help you break free of here as well, then you must be daft. There is nothing in your rebirth that would help me out any."

Pan slowly began to walk around the man who was his son as he replied, "Actually, I have it pretty good down here. I get to help Hades torment most of the souls that pass through, which isn't really a whole lot different than what I did in your world, except that up there I was my own master and not some lackey for the devil. You must remember how that was, back when you died killing me?"

All of a sudden, Pan grabbed the palm of his son's hand as something began to burn into Rumpelstiltskin's skin and when the boy finally released him, the villain still living held his wrist to help keep his wounded hand upward as he stared at the burned flesh in the shape of the letter that stood for who his father was, then asked angrily, "What the hell is this?"

"It's my way of making you pay for killing me!" Peter answered cruelly as he glared back at the monster before him. "You may be the Dark One, and I might not be able to kill you, but I can make you suffer. That marque, is no ordinary marque. Every time you use your powers for any reason, you will feel the same intense pain I felt as you plunged your Dark One dagger into my back down your arm and throughout your body. Down here, you learn all sorts of new tricks, especially if you have the right teacher on your side. Hades might like you, Rumpelstiltskin, but he doesn't appreciate being out a soul when you found a way to cheat death, again."

"At least I'm still alive and one day, I will find a way to have this marque removed," the Dark One growled, as Peter Pan swiftly disappeared again with a cruel smile on his face, leaving Rumpelstiltskin alone again to continue with his plan to see his own son once more.

Meanwhile…

The torture session went on and on for a period of time, Killian could no longer remember. To him, the white hot pain felt like it lasted for years while the villains, each and every one of them, all took their turns beating him with their own lightning infused whips as Cruella had begun, leaving behind obscure, silver tinted lashes caused by the implements all across his back. It was to his own astonishment that he was still conscious, though it wasn't for everyone's lack of effort that he was so.

When the people from Hook's past finished their turns and Hades finally put an end to his prisoner's torment, the shackles suddenly vanished as Killian collapsed to the ground in a heap and remained lying face down with his eyes closed tight, his incomplete arm tucked up underneath his body while he struggled for control over the anguish burning within him.

One by one, the villains filed out of the hollow after they had been given satisfaction at making Hook pay for his sins. The only three that remained behind along with Hades were the three people believing the pirate to have wronged them the most; Milah, his father, Brennan Jones, and his younger brother, Liam.

Hades patted each of them on their backs in a congratulatory manner as he spoke up saying, "I've got to hand it to you, that was quite a show, but I think for now he's had enough of the physical torture. It's time to let him rest for awhile. Besides, it's not like we don't have all of eternity to continue our fun and games."

Milah knelt down beside the man she once loved as she gently traced her fingers along his face and responded with mocking in her voice, "You really aren't the brave and dashing man I thought I loved all those years ago, are you, Killian? Are you refusing to look at me? I'd say that makes you every bit as much of a coward as Rumpelstiltskin was."

"Enough talk!" Liam called out impatiently as he swiftly and cruelly kicked the helpless and weakened man before them in his chest, eliciting a groan from him as the younger man used his foot as leverage to push Hook over onto his back. "I'm tired of waiting. He deserves worse than just this for making me the man I am. He deserves far worse."

"I agree with his brother," Milah replied as she looked over at the God of the Underworld and smiled when the man in a tailored suit no longer looked like a regular soul, but had transformed back into his natural form; an immortal giant with dark red eyes while his entire body became illuminated by blue flames. "Killian has been broken enough, Hades. It's time you push him over the edge, so that even if this Savior he loves so dearly does come for him, he will be too far gone."

Brennan was the last to speak up as he said, "For me, the son that I once loved died the night I abandoned him. That is on me and why I belong where I am. Killian still refuses to admit the kind of man he really is. It's time we show him once and for all. I am in agreement with both my son and Milah."

Hades grinned and summoned a circle of fire around the pirate as he lay gasping as if gasping for air while the pain slowly intensified. When the God loomed over the soul of the man on the ground before him and continued the ritual, darkness and fear began to envelop him as Killian suddenly began to scream and writhe in sheer anguish while all of his sins and evil deeds committed throughout his three hundred years of life manifested themselves and coursed within him, as is done for the worst of sinners who enter into the world of the damned.

 _Outside of the library in Storybrooke…_

 _Hook looked at Emma as he held up his hand to show her his rings and stated, "_ _You see this? Belonged to a man named Barnaby. Called me 'One Hand Jones.' I killed him in front of his wife, took his ring. This one, Edgar. Fine sailor. I caught him drinking the captain's wine. I drowned him."_

 _Aboard the Jolly Roger before Rumpelstiltskin became the Dark One…  
_ _"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets," Hook spoke cruelly as he smiled at the weak man before him._

 _"Please, sir. What am I going to tell my boy?" Rumpelstiltskin asked sadly._

 _The dark haired pirate answered, "Try the truth. His father's a coward."_

 _Outside of a cabin late at night…_

 _Killian glared at his father as he came out to join him after the man had finished tucking in his youngest son, then said furiously, "You named your boy Liam. After my brother, after the son... you abandoned. Was he really that easy to replace?"_

 _"I wasn't trying to replace him," Brennan responded with worry. "I was trying to honor him, to honor you both. So I'd remember never to make the same mistake."_

 _"No, people don't change," Hook replied. "I saw what you said to him in there! It's the same thing you said to me! It was a lie then, and it's a lie now!"_

 _Realizing then that his son was about to go back on his word, the man tried pleading once more, "Killian, please, it's not true. I have changed. I would never leave him."_

 _The pirate sneered, "But you would leave me."_

 _"Killian, please, what are you doing?" his father asked quickly upon watching his son toss the letter into the fire beside him._

 _"Deciding what kind of man I want to be," Killian answered as he swiftly plunged a dagger into his father's chest. "You see, if the queen discovers that I've deceived her, I might not get what I need, and I can't have that. You're just not worth it."_

 _Inside the cave where Cora had imprisoned Emma, Snow, Mulan, and Aurora…_

 _Hook looked into Emma's eyes coldly as he held up the old magic bean he had stolen from the giant and spoke saying cruelly, "Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done… with you."_

 _At the town line just after Hook shoots Belle and holds his gun on Rumpelstiltskin…_

 _Rumple held the woman he loved tightly within his arms as he stared down at her fearfully and pleaded, "Oh, no. No, no, no, no…!"_

 _"Oh, fear not," Hook responded curtly. "She'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are."_

 _"What you've done cannot be undone," Gold replied with worry as he turned to glare at the man still pointing a gun at him."_

 _Hook shouted, "Well, now you finally know how it feels! Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!"_

 _Inside Emma's house in Storybrooke…_

 _Hook looked at the woman he once loved smugly as he stated coldly, "As long as I get what I want, I don't give a damn about the rest. And you of all people should understand that."_

 _"Everything I did, I did for you," Emma answered sadly._

 _"Well, you see, that's your problem, Swan," he responded with hatred. "You're so afraid of losing the people that you love that you push them away. And that's why you'll always be an orphan. You don't need some villain swooping in to destroy your happiness. You do that quite well all on your own."_

 _A tear fell from her eye as Emma asked, "Why are you doing this?"_

 _Dark Hook moved in close as if he were about to kiss her until he simply glared at her as he whispered cruelly, "Because... I want to hurt you... like you hurt me."_

 _In Camelot…_

 _"Killian… your revenge is not your happy ending," Emma pleaded with the man she loved. "I am. You told me that. If you destroy this heart, you will destroy your happy ending along with it."_

 _"No, Killian Jones told you that," he replied. "Your lovesick puppy dog. But that man died the moment you turned him into a Dark One."_

 _Inside Emma's house…_

 _Hook glared at Emma as he said angrily, "If you didn't want me to change, you should have let me die."_

Liam grinned in satisfaction upon seeing the brother he never knew continue to writhe so greatly, while Milah looked over at Hades as she asked, "How long is this meant to last?"

"However long it takes," the God answered smugly. "Three centuries is an incredibly long time. You've watched others suffer as he is. Is this not what you wanted?"

"Of course it is," the woman responded without feeling. "But what comes next once he loses his vitality?"

Hades replied curtly, "He will either choose to join me at my side as you three have done, or he'll spend all of eternity trapped within his mind, a sniveling mess as Cruella so eloquently put it earlier."

Brennan answered, "He'll choose servitude. He's always only done what's best for him."


	24. Chapter 24

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-Four

While Emma and the others pushed onward, Emma pulled out Killian's hook and held it close to her chest in hope that it would guide her faster than if she left it tucked inside her red leather coat. The longer that their search for the man they had come to save continued, the more troubled the woman who loved him became. The others didn't show their frustration openly like Emma, but they all felt it too. Everyone was anxious to find Hook and then return home to Storybrooke again.

After continuing to walk on the brimstone paths alongside the river of fire, among the souls trapped within the walls, for what the heroes knew was only a few hours since they awoke from their nightmares, the Savior suddenly stopped upon feeling that they were finally close to him, close to wherever it was he was being held prisoner among their enemies. Emma stared attentively at the hook for several minutes while the others worried for her, until the blonde woman slowly reached out to touch the wall beside her, causing the rock wall before them to open up and reveal another hidden passageway beyond it.

As David and Robin pulled a couple of torches down from the walls as they entered first, Regina spoke again saying, "Well I'll be damned. I have to hand it to you, Miss. Swan. Your power is most definitely growing stronger now that you're back to your old self again."

Emma looked back at her friend as she responded quietly, "I just hope that it's strong enough. Come on, we're almost there. I can feel it."

Their paces quickened the further down through the passageway the heroes travelled. The deeper they went, the darker the caves became and by now, everyone was carrying their own torches to light their path, except for Regina, who was using a flame she summoned into the palm of her hand. When it ended, they came upon another cavern and above the doorway, the words, 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here,' were carved into the stone arch.

"You've got to be kidding me," Emma stated as she stared at the saying before her. "I thought these words were only from a book called _Dante's Inferno_?"

"When will things like this ever stop surprising you?" David asked as turned to look at his daughter.

Emma took a second, then replied, "I guess, never. Did this Dante guy actually come down here and find his way back?"

Robin read the words again as he answered, "If he did, then he must have made a deal with the devil himself to get out of the Underworld and if not, if his book is actually just fiction, then perhaps Hades carved these words here for cruel pleasure in order to terrify the souls who pass through."

"Hook's in there," Emma said sternly. "I won't turn back. I don't care what the warning says."

"We're with you," her mother answered in agreement. "Are you ready?"

The Savior muttered, "As I'll ever be."

Having no idea what to expect once they were inside, the heroes cautiously entered and upon doing so, the fires from their torches suddenly went out, leaving them standing close together in pitch blackness. Both the Queen and the Savior closed their eyes and with their magic, they were able to relight the room by setting fire to each of the torches surrounding them, then upon doing so, Emma immediately recognized the room to be the very room from her vision.

Her eyes immediately darted to the spot where she had seen Killian before and like in her vision, she found the man she loved upon his knees, strung up by his arms by golden shackles and his head hanging down against his chest in unconsciousness, then without warning, Emma ran to him as she shouted, "Killian! Hook, we're here!"

"These chains are wielded with magic," Regina said as she and the others quickly joined the desperate woman and worked to try to free the pirate using their own powers and weapons, while Emma knelt down in front of him and nervously reached out to touch his face as tears poured down from her eyes, afraid that the magic she had cast upon his hook wouldn't allow her to touch him. "We're not going to be able to break him free by any of our conventional means."

"My God, what did they do to him?" Mary Margaret asked in repulsion upon seeing the torment cast upon his body, or soul as it was, as she knelt beside her daughter, who when she found that she could feel him, Emma immediately leaned in close to kiss him and wrapped her arms around him, while everyone else as they touched him phased right through.

It was then that someone else appeared from behind them as she responded Snow's question with cruelty, "I'm afraid exactly what Hades does to all of his special souls who come his way. I'm afraid you've come a little too late, Savior. He's finally been broken. What's only been two days stuck down here in this hell for each of you, has been years for him and in all that time, he's suffered the worst agony any man can possibly suffer."

Emma remained protectively in front of Hook as she turned her head to look at the woman standing before them across the room and asked angrily, "What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?"

"Surely our pirate has spoken of me, or did he actually forget about me the moment that you walked into his life?" the newcomer replied in disdain.

"You're Milah?" Emma stated in shock as she stood and turned to face her head on. But how... Killian loved you, so much so that he spent centuries trying to avenge your death by going after Rumpelstiltskin. And this is how you repay him? By helping this God of the Underworld torture him?"

Milah glared coldly at the Savior as she answered, "Don't pretend to know anything about me or about the love I had for him. Killian betrayed me, just as my coward of a husband did. I left my son for him and he repaid me, by falling in love with you after I was dead."

Mary Margaret cut in as she responded, "Yeah, hundreds of years after you were dead."

"I wasn't speaking to you," Rumple's wife replied curtly as she glared at the Savior's mother, then turned back to Emma. "As I've told you, Miss. Swan, you've come too late to save him now. If you do manage to get him back up to the living realm, and if he does actually awaken after all his torment, he'll either despise and fear you because he won't believe that you actually care enough to come for him, or his torment will have simply been too much for him to take and he'll live the rest of his life, however long it might be, as if he is no more than a statue."

"You're wrong," Emma answered resolutely as she stepped closer to the woman with his hands raised, prepared to strike the woman down before she could hurt the man she loved anymore. "Killian is far stronger than he ever believed himself to be. He's a survivor and I won't ever stop trying to bring him back to me, no matter what you've done or continue to try to do."

All of a sudden, Hades himself appeared before them as he called out, "That may be all well and good, Miss. Swan, but if you think that all of you can come down here into my domain and take something that belongs to me, you're sorely mistaken. And your boyfriend's soul, belongs to me."

The Savior stared at the villain she knew was Hades from the moment he entered the cavern with worry, though she didn't show it as she responded, "Not anymore it doesn't. He gave his life to save us all from some of your souls. They're the ones who belong to you, not Hook."

"Doesn't matter," the God spoke again quickly as the blue flames illuminating him burned hotter. "It's as I told him, one noble act after three hundred years of evil deeds, doesn't make up for everything."

"Hook's done more than one good deed in his life," David replied firmly as he stepped forward to stand beside his daughter with his sword raised high. "He's saved us again and again and has been there to fight alongside us all ever since we first asked for his help."

Mary Margaret added, "It was Killian who saved our daughter from the darkness when all the rest of us failed to do so. What he and Emma share is true love and even you can't stand in the way of that."

Hades glared at the Prince and Princess as he answered, "Do you really think I care about the rules of your magical world, or about any of the good that was supposedly inside your precious pirate captain? Because I don't. You're all forgetting the most important thing here. If you really want to have him back, there are only two ways you can make that happen; either make a deal with me that I can't refuse, or trade one of your own souls in exchange for his. I warn you, this soul must be of equal or greater value than his own and I think that the soul of a Savior would do quite nicely."

Emma smiled at the immortal coolly as she responded, "I would give my life for Killian in a heartbeat, but then that would defeat the purpose in my coming here. I plan to live the rest of my life with him and we both will have our happy endings. I won't ever give that up."

"Which means that a deal must be struck then," he replied with pride. "You see, if I were to simply let you all just waltz down here, take one of my souls away from me without paying a price for it, and then waltz right back out again, you would clear the way for anyone wanting to come down to try to rescue their loved ones. I'm afraid I cannot let that be."

"You have no power over us," Regina answered in frustration. "We're all still alive and you have no dominion of the living. You can't actually hurt us yourself, which is why you've sent your pets to try to kill us."

Hades sneered, "The only way for you living souls to get out, is to get back to the ferryman and if you think that you'll be able to do that, especially with Captain Hook in tow, you are all fools. I've got plenty of beasts and souls who willingly, and even unwillingly, follow my every command."

The Savior glared at the God once more, then responded, "Yeah, we'll see about that."

Without hesitation, Emma swiftly raised her hands again as she blasted Hades back against the stone wall behind him, while another form of magic came from out of nowhere as new chains that could contain their enemy long enough to buy them time to free Hook from his own shackles formed and held the God in place. Emma and the others looked around for the source of the magic, but found no one else around them, so they ignored it and took it for what it was as they continued going about their goal. It was a long shot to try to fight against a God, but as heroes, it was the same kind of evil they fought against every day. Hades screamed at the invaders for their audacity to think that they could get away with trying to get the pirate's soul back without paying a price, while Milah only stood there in surprise, shocked that someone had the power to imprison the immortal, no matter how temporary.

"How are we going to break these things?" Robin asked quickly as he, Charming, Snow, and Regina worked to do all they could to destroy the bonds, while Emma gently placed one hand on the side of Killian's face as she held his head up, and the other over his chest to try to rouse him, but to no avail.

"Regina, what if our magic combined is strong enough?" Emma said upon getting the idea. "Both light and dark magic?"

The Queen nodded and together they summoned their powers with as much strength as they could gather and finally the chains gave way as Killian collapsed into Emma's arms. Upon doing so, he suddenly began to stir as his hand gripped her arm weakly and struggled to open his eyes while Emma gently held his head close. When he finally succeeded to wake, she smiled down at him sadly, but there was no recognition in them as he looked up at the woman he loved, or if there was, it was like Milah had said. He didn't believe it could actually be her coming to save him.

David and Mary Margaret saw this too, but instead of trying to reassure their daughter that what she was thinking might be wrong, Charming quickly put his hand on Emma's shoulder as he stated, "Come on, we have to get out of here while we still can. Do you have him?"

"Don't worry, she's not alone!" another man called out as he immediately appeared at Emma's side and swiftly worked to help her lift Hook between them, the man Emma recognized to be Killian's brother Liam, who looked over at the Savior and saw the recognition in her eyes. "You know who I am?"

"Only if it's the real you?" she replied skeptically, allowing him to help her, despite not knowing for sure if it really was his brother, or Nimue again.

Liam smiled as he answered, "I promise you, I am who I appear to be. And I didn't come alone either."

It was as Milah suddenly charged at Emma with a dagger forged by the God, when two more souls appeared as one swiftly disarmed her, while the other struggled to strap her into the very chains that were holding Hook until he was finally successful. The heroes watched as Neal and Graham stepped forward, the two men the Savior had once been with looking sadly between Emma and the pirate she had risked her life to come into the Underworld for.

"Dad!" Henry shouted excitedly upon seeing the man he never got to say goodbye to before he died as he raced to him to hug him, only to fall right through him. "Dad?"

"Sorry kiddo," Neal responded as he looked at his son worryingly. "It's me, but not exactly the whole me any longer."

Emma stared at him as he turned to her, then continued, "We don't have time for this stare down. We need to go before Hades breaks free and more trouble comes."

Hades called out again angrily, "Trouble's already coming. You won't get out of here alive! None of you!"

"Yeah, you're right," Emma replied to Neal, then gently carried Hook over her shoulders with Liam's help as they made their way out of the room. "We're going home, Killian. It won't be long now, I promise."

"Not that we're not happy to see you guys, but how are…?" David began to ask until Graham interrupted him.

He quickly answered, "How are we here? We received word that you all were crazy enough to come down here to rescue someone, also that you were woefully outnumbered. We thought you could use some help that can actually do something against Hades' friends that are on their way to try to kill you."

While they made it back out among the fire and brimstone and continued their journey back toward the boatman as fast as they could, Regina spoke again saying, "No offense huntsman, but we can handle any of that God's beasts just fine."

"That isn't exactly what we mean," Neal responded curtly. "The beasts aren't alive, but they're not exactly dead either, which is why you can actually hurt them, but the souls he has command over, in case you haven't noticed, you can't touch them. They however, have no problem being able to hurt you. That's where we come in and luckily for you, we brought a few gifts."

"It is good to see you both again," Emma replied sadly as she looked between the two men lost to her a long time ago, who tossed to David, Robin, and Mary Margaret each one of the weapons the villains had used to hurt Hook, when their conversation was cut off as Cora, two unknown men, and Peter Pan appeared before them, while Cruella and the men the Savior recognized to be Killian's father and brother came up on them from behind. "Uh… guys?"

Liam pulled his brother's arm off from around his own shoulder and helped Emma set him down upon the ground as she knelt down beside him and pulled him close, then he quickly stated, "Stay with him. I'm going to help your family."

Mary Margaret glared at their enemies standing around them as she asked nervously, "So, these weapons are supposed to hurt them?"

"They should," Neal answered in frustration.

"What do you mean should?" Regina asked again as she immediately fired a burst of fire from the palm of her hand at her mother before the still Evil Queen could attack them first. "Don't you know?"

After one of the men they didn't recognize charged Neal angrily, whom he was easily able to fight off, Graham quickly pulled up his own weapon and responded, "These sticks were forged by lightning from another God and I've seen them used on other souls. I've been trapped here in this part of the Underworld a long time. The strange lashes on your boyfriend's back, Emma, those come from these."

Cora reappeared in another puff of smoke after being struck by her daughter's magic, then blasted her own powers as she forced Regina and Robin both back roughly against the wall beside them, then was about to throw a fireball herself at Mary Margaret until David struck her across her back with his whip to defend his wife. She screamed and swiftly turned on the Prince to force him back as well, then raised him high into the air while choking him as she had done earlier to Regina and Snow, who were fighting against Cruella and the other men. Emma was about to stand to help her father until Henry stepped between them and threw a larger handful of salt at the ghost, succeeding in breaking Charming free of her grasp as Cora screamed in pain, but didn't vanish in flame as she had done before.

She turned on the young man as she forced Henry up against the wall behind him while she sneered, "What business does a small minded child like you have down here? You should have remained in your own world with your toys and books."

"And you shouldn't underestimate my son!" Emma cried out angrily, standing to defend Henry when Robin swiftly tossed her his defense against the evil souls as she wrapped the whip around the Queen's throat and pulled her down to the ground, causing Cora to gasp and cry out, then the Savior immediately turned to Pan as he suddenly appeared beside Killian, but before she could stop the boy, he grinned cruelly as he grabbed hold of Hook and shimmered out with him.

"Hook!" she shouted in fear upon failing to protect him so soon after she had just gotten him back.

The younger Liam rushed his namesake and struggled to fight the older man, while Brennan stepped up to Emma as he said sadly, "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to bring my son back. Hades is far too powerful. When he wants something, there's no one who can stop him. Not even you."

Emma glared at him and replied, "Your God doesn't know me. I'm not leaving here without him."

"It's as I've told you, Savior, I will not let you have him," Hades answered cruelly when he finally made a reappearance, bursting before the heroes in a cloud of fire, with Killian, who was barely conscious, in his grasp as the God, larger in stature than he was before, held the man Emma loved tightly by his throat. "And soon all of you will belong to me as well."

"No," Mary Margaret stated nervously when the heroes suddenly became surrounded as she ran to stand with her husband.

The expedition from the living world, stood huddled together with Neal, Graham, and Liam in between a circle of villains, all of the Dark Ones including Nimue, as well as several more furies that flew down upon Hades' summons. Hades smiled as his hand around Killian's throat tightened, causing him to gasp and raise his hands weakly to clench at the man's hold, making Emma tense and attempt to step forward to help him until her parents held her back.

Seeing that his minions were all waiting for a signal of attack, Emma kept her eyes on Hades and Killian as she took another step forward and spoke up saying, "Hook isn't yours to keep and I don't have to trade anyone's soul to get him back. If there's one thing I've learned since arriving in Storybrooke, is that there's always a loophole. When I get him back from you, and I will, I'm giving Killian half of my heart. We will be connected, heart and soul."

The immortal laughed, then responded, "I love your initiative, but I'm afraid that would only work if you were actually in your own world, sweetheart. You may be able to physically touch him and hold onto him so long as you have his enchanted hook on you, but he's nothing more than a spirit, who can't feel a thing except for the pain I inflict upon him. Only a corporeal body needs a heart, and the Captain no longer has one."

"Not down here he doesn't," Emma replied smugly. "But when we leave here, he will."

"And we're back to the same old question, how do you plan to get out?" he asked in anger of this woman's arrogance.

The Savior answered, "I will make a deal with you after all. I will fight you, for Killian's soul. One on one, just the two of us with no interference from either side. If I win, I get to take him free and clear and the rest of us are free to leave as well."

Hades looked between the three souls fighting alongside the heroes, then turned back to Emma as he said quickly, "You can't have these traitors too."

"Our fates have been sealed for a long time," Neal interrupted quickly, while Liam and Graham both nodded in agreement. "We're only here to try to make this fight a little more even."

"And what if I win?" the God asked as he looked between Emma and the man she loved within his hold. "What exactly is my prize?"

She responded coldly, "If you win, then my soul is yours as well. I may as well give it to you if I can't have him back. At least this way I'll be trapped here in Hell with him. But my family and friends still get to go free."

Prince Charming stepped forward to stand with the Savior and added, "No, mine and Snow's souls are yours to keep as well if Emma can't defeat you. But we have faith that she will."

"No!" Emma retorted. "Dad, Mom… you can't!"

"We know you," Mary Margaret stated as she stood with her husband and looked at their daughter as he was. "We know that you can beat Hades even if he is a God."

Hades looked at all three as he replied rhetorically, "Huh… three new souls, including that of the Savior's. Is there a down side to this?"

Regina cut in saying, "It sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I probably would have made it, if I was still the Evil Queen my mother is, if a deal like this was ever offered to me."

"Fine, we have ourselves a deal, Miss. Swan," the immortal answered haughtily as he immediately ordered his friends and beasts still surrounding the heroes to back away, while he stepped between them with Hook still held tightly in front of him. "But I assure you, you won't be able to defeat me and save your pirate at the same time."

"Killian!" Emma cried out in fear as Hades shoved her true love onto the ground before them as the brimstone beneath him caught fire, causing Hook to scream while everyone was forced to watch in horror as he writhed within the flames. "No, we made a deal! This wasn't a part of it!"

He laughed again as he responded smugly, "You're right, but you never said I couldn't bend the deal a little. Come on, Savior. Save your true love from his agony."

Without hesitation, Emma swiftly shot several bursts of magic from her hands at the immortal, each time the God being able to block her power with his own. David attempted to call out to her until Hades cut him off by having Peter put a cutlass to his chest and Milah a dagger to Mary Margaret's throat, reminding Emma that there can be no interference from her side. When her first attempts to defeat the immortal failed, Emma finally took a moment to think. As she breathed in deeply, she summoned as much power as she hoped was inside of her, thinking only of her love for Killian, then raised the flames that were engulfing him away from him, allowing Hook to collapse to the ground again in relief, and with as much strength as she could gather, Emma plunged the flames directly at Hades to make him pay for all he's done.

The fires consumed the God as he screamed out, but not in agony as Hook had done, only in rage upon being beaten by a mortal, even one as powerful as the Savior from Storybrooke. Emma raced to Killian's side and before the new flames could be put out, she propelled the immortal swiftly into the lava while the villains stood down in shock upon seeing the woman's power. The furies screeched as they flew off, the Dark Ones shimmered out, and the villains simply vanished upon seeing they were outnumbered and powerless once again until Hades returned.

Emma pulled Killian close as she held him tightly within her arms while her parents rushed to her side, then David kissed her head and turned his eyes down on the soul of the man in severe pain from the wounds forced upon him and exclaimed, "I knew you could do it. You saved him."

"I hate to spoil the victory, but we're not free yet," Regina replied curtly, seeing the tears pour down her friend's face as she gently caressed Hook's face even though Emma knew he couldn't feel her touch. "We need to get moving, before Hades or any of the rest of them come back."

"Don't worry," Liam stated sadly, seeing his brother suffer so greatly and being unable to do much to help him. "We have one more ally to help us with that."

It was then that everyone turned to the sound of a boat rowing down the river of fire, the very boat they had entered the Underworld upon, and saw Charon at the front with an oar in his hands. Robin tethered an arrow at the boatman's approach in case of attack until they were reassured by Graham that this was the help they spoke of, and their way home. However, as he approached them, another soul dispossessed the dark creature, but kept his hold to keep him from leaving them, the soul of a man Regina never believed she would ever see again.

The Queen gasped in surprise upon seeing him as she whispered, "Daniel?"

He smiled at her as he answered, "Hello again, Regina. It's good to see you."

"But how…?" she tried to ask until she couldn't find the words.

"I came when I heard that you and your friends have come to save another trapped soul," he continued. "We don't have a lot of time, but I wanted you to know how proud I am of you and how happy I am that you found true love again."

Tears came to Regina's eyes and she smiled, while Robin wrapped his arm around her, then Henry walked over to Neal in order to say his own goodbyes as Neal spoke up first saying, "It's as I said, kiddo. I belong here now. Don't worry about me. I was granted passage into the Elysian Fields right from the start. I'm happy here. My only regret, regrets, is that I didn't get to say goodbye to you before I died, and that I died to save my father, who it turns out hasn't changed at all."

Snow looked around them as she asked, "Speaking of Gold, where is he? We can't leave without him."

"He isn't here," Emma responded coldly upon the mention of the man responsible for Hook being sent here in the first place, even though in her heart she knew the real reason was because of her. "I say that we leave him here."

"I hate to say it, but Mom's right," Henry replied in frustration. "He isn't here and we have no idea where he is. We can't take the time to look for him."

Killian slowly fell into full unconsciousness as Emma called out, "Please, we need to get home, now!"

Neal looked down at the woman he had once loved sadly, as well as the pirate he did consider a friend long ago, then knelt down in front of Emma as he said, "Getting Hook past the barrier preventing souls from passing through the portal into your world will be you final roadblock and as you know, his pass into your world will only be temporary unless you can get him back to his body right away. I suggest you tether his soul to something of his of value, if you have something. It will help to buy you time."

"I have his hook, and I also have… his brother's ring," Emma answered as she turned to look up at Liam and pulled the ring she wore around her neck up to show it to him. "He loves you, you know. He carried this ever since he lost you, until he gave it to me to help me to survive my fight against the darkness. He told me that it helped him to survive all the centuries he lived and wanted the same for me. I can use it to help him now."

"Then do it," the older Jones brother responded as he took Killian's hand in his own, then watched as Emma used her magic to beckon the pirate's soul inside the stone within the center of the metal. "Are you going to be all right down here?"

Liam smiled as he stood and replied, "Like Neal, I'm living eternity in paradise. And knowing that Killian found peace himself at last… You have no idea how grateful I am to you for helping him, Emma. Both now and ever since you met. He became the man I always knew him to be despite all of the hate that tore him down all those years. Thank you, and take care of him for me."

She smiled at him, then turned to Graham as the huntsman nodded and began to fade away as he stated, "It looks like I've finally been granted passage to the Elysian Fields as well. I've been redeemed of my sins. I'll see you again one day."

"I guess that's my queue," Neal spoke up again as Liam and Graham both disappeared, then Rumpelstiltskin's son looked between Emma and Henry for the last time. "One day, we'll be together again. I just hope that it isn't for a long time. I'm happy that you both will be happy again, even if it is with Hook. I don't know what he did, but if you came down here into the Underworld, and your family and friends willingly followed you, risking their lives to bring him back, then it must have been a hell of a gesture."

"You have no idea," Emma answered sadly as her parents helped her to stand again.

Baelfire nodded and responded, "Good, then get home and bring him back. Oh and Emma, I received a message from my father while I was still within the Elysian Fields. It's how I knew that you had all come down here. From the way you spoke of him earlier, it's clear he messed up again and you're angry with him."

Emma angrily replied, "Yeah, he was finally free of the darkness because I took it upon myself to save him, then he tricked Hook into giving his life to destroy it once and for all. Only… when he did, your father only transferred the darkness back into himself and now he's even more powerful than before. I know that he's your father, Neal, but he is evil through and through. One day, I will stop him for good."

"I hope you do," he answered sincerely. "Just be careful while you go about crossing him. Take care of each other."

"I love you, Dad!" Henry called out to him as he too finally vanished. "Come on, Mom. Let's get out of here. I am really craving a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon right now."

The Savior smiled and responded, "Yeah, that sounds great, and so does Granny's grilled cheese sandwich and onion rings."

Daniel motioned for them all to enter into the boat as he said, "I'll guide us back to the portal to the living realm while possessing Charon here. He won't take you otherwise. He's still only loyal to Hades after all. Then, we'll part ways. I'll always love you, Regina."

"And I'll always love you," the Queen replied as she took Robin's hand within her own, while saying goodbye to her first love for the last time.

"Thank you," Robin added as he nodded at the stable boy who once held Regina's heart, holding no disdain for him.

While they slowly travelled back through the depths of the Underworld the way they had come, Emma's thoughts were on Killian once more as she took his ring now holding his soul from off of the chain she used to wear it around her neck as he had, then carefully placed it over her ring finger on her left hand. As she did so, she thought back to the moment in Camelot when he had given it to her as tears slowly began to trickle down from her eyes.

 _Hook walked over to her to say his goodbyes as he asked, "You'll return by nightfall, right?"_

 _Emma smiled sweetly at him as he stood in front of her and answered, "Yes. We go get this spark thing, and then I'm working my way back to you, babe."_

 _"I know when you're quoting something," he responded teasingly._

 _"And I love that you never know what it is," she replied as she pulled him close to her while he smiled back at the woman he loved, the woman he was fighting so desperately to save, then she immediately became serious. "Anyway, with a bit of luck, we can put Excalibur together tomorrow, and then... bam... No more darkness."_

 _Killian took her hand in his while he leaned in to kiss her, then pulled the necklace with his brother's ring from around his neck and handed it over to Emma as he answered, "Be careful, Emma."_

 _She became nervous as he handed it over to her muttering the words, "Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa."_

 _"Calm down, Swan," he quickly retorted as he continued to look at her, then gently placed it into the palm of her hand as she looked up into his eyes while he spoke. "I'm not proposing. You know I'm a survivor. This ring is why. I've had it for many years. It's the reason I'm alive. Or it could be. Who knows?"_

 _"You know I can't die today," she responded smugly. "I'm immortal now."_

 _Hook became serious himself as he replied sadly, "The dark one is immortal. Emma isn't. Bring her home to me."_

 _Then, Killian went on to do one of the things she loved most about him as she laughed when he added gallantly, "At the very least, it's a reminder that you've got a piercing-eyed, smoldering pirate here who loves you."_

 _"Thank you," she answered softly after she pulled his head close to hers so she could kiss him. "I love you, too."_

 _"It's time," Merlin said calmly when Emma placed the ring around her own neck as she turned to face him again after Killian walked away from her so that she could go about her task to bring back the spark._


	25. Chapter 25

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-Five

Happy was staring up at the night sky above them observing the stars, while Grumpy was pacing back and forth in frustration outside of Regina's vault, but when he could no longer take the silence, Leroy asked impatiently, "Happy, what the heck are you doing? You're supposed to be helping me guard the vault, not spying on the stars. Nothing's happening up there."

Happy looked back at his brother and answered, "Yes, but nothing is happening down here, either. Unlike you, I try to see the joy in everything we do, which is why I'm not the one acting like a nervous, grumpy wreck right now. The stars are quite beautiful tonight, don't you think?"

"I don't care about the star…" the other dwarf started to reply until he cut himself off upon seeing movement walking from out of the woods in the distance, then raised the flashlight he was holding to try to get a glimpse at the unexpected visitors coming toward them in case of trouble. "It's them. They're back! Happy, run into town and tell everybody, they're all back from the Underworld!"

"Grumpy!" Snow called out happily upon seeing the face of a very dear friend as she ran on ahead of the rest of her family to embrace the small man. "Oh, it is so good to see you!"

Leroy nodded and responded, "It's good to see you too, sister. Are you all alright? Did you…?"

Emma simply rushed past the dwarf and her mother without a word to their friend, the look of anger and weariness evident on her face, which he could see clearly and was about to say something again when David walked up as he said, "Don't take it personally, Leroy. She had it rough down there. We all have, but our daughter even more so."

"Yeah, but did you find him?" the dwarf asked again as he followed the Charmings, as well as Regina and Robin down into the vault where Mother Superior and Tinker Bell were still with Hook's body. "Hook I mean. Did you save him? Where is he?"

"Emma, Mary Margaret, David!" Tink exclaimed happily as the newly returned expedition entered the room as the Savior immediately went to Hook's crypt and reached down to touch his cold face, then noticed the stab wound upon his open chest, as well as the large branding with Hades' name etched into his right arm over where his tattoo once was, just as she had seen the torment on his soul.

"What the hell is this?" Emma asked fearfully as she gently lifted his upper body up to get a closer look at his back and found hundreds of angry, bloody lashes hidden beneath the loose shirt he was wearing before he died. "How is this possible?"

The Blue Fairy stepped closer to the woman in love with the pirate as she gently placed a hand on Emma's shoulder and answered, "Truthfully, we have no clue. We were hoping you might be able to tell us once you returned. Tinker Bell and I have been here with his body ever since this brand appeared, hoping to be able to heal him, but so far, we haven't had any luck in doing so. There were dark, ugly striations from dreamshade poisoning that appeared earlier all over his body, although those disappeared when the stab wound in his chest appeared."

Tinker Bell quickly asked, "Were you successful? I mean, were you able to bring his soul back with you?"

"Yes, but I… we can't… Regina?" Emma stated worryingly as she turned to look over at the Queen as she stepped forward, apparently being able to read what the blonde woman was about to ask her.

"I've called Dr. Whale and asked him to prepare a private room in the clinic for the Captain," she replied quickly. "He'll be able to stitch up the wounds that you won't be able to heal yourself, if you can't. That includes the wounds made from Excalibur. The sword's magic already took its course when he died, so they should no longer be of concern, except for the pain he'll feel… Emma, you should know that once we return his soul back into his body and then give him his half of your heart to revive him, if it works like we're all hoping that it will, Killian is still going to have a long road of recovery ahead of him, both physically and emotionally."

David took his daughter's hand in his own, then continued for Regina as he spoke up saying, "She's right. After all that he was forced to endure down there, no one could come back from that kind of hell and be okay right away."

Emma clenched her jaw as she looked between everyone observing at her, then turned her eyes back upon Hook's body as a tear escaped her eye and responded sadly, "I know. I do. I just suppose I should be grateful that his entire body isn't burned after…"

"It's like I told you before, Emma," Mary Margaret answered as her daughter fell off upon remembering his screams from when Hades set his soul on fire before them. "What the two of you share, your true love, it will bring him back to you. This will work and you'll be with him every moment that he needs you to be. You will both get through this, together. I know it."

"Thank you, Mom," she whispered as Snow pulled her close while both David and Robin carefully lifted Hook's body from out of the crypt so that they could carry him to Whale's clinic, rather than wait for the man to send the paramedics to them with a gurney.

A few hours later, everyone was once again standing around Hook's body while gathered around the private room the doctor had prepared for the pirate, with a bit of an incentive from Regina when she had reminded him of a secret only she knew about his dark past, given that he was once Dr. Frankenstein.

Before Whale could say anything about the surgery, August came running into the room toward Emma as he called out, "Emma! Thank God you're all back and okay! I came as soon as I heard."

She simply nodded, then turned back to the doctor so he could begin as he said, "I have to admit that this was probably the finest work that I've ever performed, especially on a dead man… I'm sorry, Miss. Swan. I don't mean to sound so crass. Autopsies, are not particularly something I'm all that comfortable with, but seeing as I am doing this so we can bring the pirate back to life…"

"Enough praise for your fine work, Dr. Whale," Regina interrupted impatiently as the two shared a cold look, ignoring everyone else's confusion around them. "Tell us what it is you've done."

"Okay, well first of all, I stitched up the wounds in his chest, back, and along his neck from the fancy sword I've heard tales about, as well as the smaller stab wound in his chest from a different weapon very near where Miss. Swan thrust the sword through," he continued curtly. "I also had a lot of stitching work to do to close the deeper lacerations across his back from the whip lashes, which I don't… never mind. What I don't understand doesn't matter. He will have plenty more scars on him than just the one on his face and his missing limb. The burn on his arm has been dressed and treated and I'm prepared with the proper equipment and medications to help keep him alive, no matter what condition he comes back in. I promise you, I did the best I could do under the circumstances. Believe me though, bringing a person back from the dead is a bad idea."

Emma looked at him as she replied coldly, "I didn't ask you for your opinion. What happened to Hook was unfair and if you knew anything about the kind of hell he was suffering from, you would understand why I have do this. Are you done?"

The doctor nodded and responded, "I am, but you might be doing more harm to him than good. I'm just saying."

"You will leave," Regina retorted as she shoved Whale out the door. "Because if you try to object to this again, I will tell everyone your secret of who you really are. Is that understood, doctor?"

"What was that about?" Robin asked after the man left the room, confused about the tension that was clearly between him and the woman he loved. "Is that man a problem, Regina?"

She shook her head as she answered, "No, Dr. Whale is a snake and a vile human being, but he's not a problem anymore."

Mary Margaret looked at her skeptically as she asked, "What secret were you talking about? Who is he really?"

"I'm afraid that that's something I promised him would remain between us," Regina replied in frustration as she moved to stand directly in front of Emma. "Are we ready to do this then?"

"I'm ready," the Savior responded when she placed her hand firmly on the Queen's shoulder and planted her feet on the floor so that when she pulled the heart from her chest, she hopefully wouldn't collapse. "Do it."

Regina nodded and put her hand up to do what needed to be done until she paused a moment and stated, "I have to warn you. It's as I told your mother when I did this to her to save Charming, this is going to hurt."

Emma looked at her sadly as she answered, "It can't possibly hurt worse than I already feel. If I can't have Killian in my life, if this doesn't work like I pray that it does, then I would rather be dead. Surely you would do the same if you could for Robin, or would have done it for Daniel if you could have."

"You're right," the older woman replied sincerely, then suddenly thrust her hand into Emma's chest and gripped her heart tightly before finally pulling it out as the blonde gasped in pain while David immediately walked up behind his daughter to steady her. "Emma, are you alright?"

"Yeah… yeah, I think so," she responded weakly as she backed away and went over to stand over Hook's body now lying on the bed before her, then took his hand tenderly within her own. "Finish it. Break my heart in half and help me save him."

Regina concentrated attentively on doing what needed to be done while Henry spoke up asking, "Mom told me about Cora trying to rip out her heart once back in the Enchanted Forest when they first met. She couldn't do it, but you can, did. How?"

Mary Margaret answered for the woman, "I believe that's because what Cora had was dark magic. Regina may once have had that kind of magic too, but she has far more light magic in her now. That's why she's able to help Emma."

"Duh, I should have known that," the young man said again and then looked over at his birth mother as Regina gently handed the Savior both halves of the precious organ.

Emma swiftly shoved one piece back within her own chest, then nervously did the same for Killian, placing one hand over his as she had once done back when Gold had taken his heart from him not too long ago, then used her other hand to push his half inside again. When she was finished, she reached over to pull his ring from off her finger while still keeping her hand over his chest. However, before she could use her power to release his soul from the vessel, the ring was suddenly snatched from her by an invisible force as it propelled right into the clutches of Mr. Gold, who was standing in the doorway of the room looking smug.

"You!" Emma cried in as much surprise as anger as she immediately stood from her position over Hook and stared at the monster they all thought that they left behind in the Underworld. "What are you…? Give his ring back!"

Gold looked down at the trinket in his hand, then back at the Savior, as well as the others, and replied, "I'm afraid I won't do that, Miss. Swan. Not this time. I can't let you bring back the man who has been my greatest enemy for far longer than any of the rest of you have been alive, not when I've finally rid myself of him for good. You see, I knew very well what was going to happen that night. I knew Hook would go soft in the end. I was… am the Dark One after all."

Mary Margaret looked at him with disappointment as she responded, "Why? Why can't you just let your hate for him go? He did! Hook is not a threat to you anymore. He is not that man he was when he first came here."

"For crying out loud, Gold," David continued as he continued speaking for his wife. "He has helped us all to save you, even gave his life for you too, every bit as much as he did for the rest of us. Emma took the darkness into herself to keep your heart from blackening fully. She saved your life too. You owe them!"

"And I fulfilled my bargain, dearies," the Dark One answered cruelly. "You wanted my help to get down to the Underworld so you could bring Hook back, and you did. You all needed a distraction long enough to break him free of the shackles that bound him and I made that happen for you. I was the one who bound Hades to the wall within his own set of chains. You got out with the Captain in tow. And you also helped to get me out as well. When you pulled Hook's soul into his ring, I hitched a ride. I wasn't a part of the deal you struck with Hades. I would have been trapped had I not found another way back, and I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do this. You should be thanking me. At least your precious pirate is no longer going to have to suffer the eternal torment that he deserves. Instead, his soul will just be trapped here, inside his ring for the rest of my life, which in this case, is forever."

Emma staggered forward while she raised her hands as she said viciously, "You will not take Killian from me again. Not when we're this close, not after everything we all went through to get him back! I won't let you!"

The monster raised the ring for them to see as he replied, "Ah... ah… ah! I wouldn't try using your magic on me, Savior. Because if you try it, I will send this ring to another realm where you will never find it, or worse… I will destroy it and him along with it. You threatened to expose my secret to Belle and I warned you what would happen if you tested me. These are the consequences."

"You're wrong," another voice sounded from behind him as he spun around to find Belle, standing there with Pandora's Box inside her hand. "You will give Emma that ring and you will hand over the real dagger that is once again tethered to you. Because if you don't, I will trap you back inside this box, just as you threatened to keep Hook."

"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin pleaded fearfully as he slowly began to back away from her until August, David, and Robin all moved in his way to keep him in place, then showed the woman he loved and the others in the room the marque upon the palm of his hand. "Please, don't do this to me. I cannot use magic anymore, the way I used to. I was branded down there myself, by Pan. I cannot use my magic, without feeling an immense amount of pain. If you want me to, I will try to be the man you love again. And I do love you, Belle. So much more than you will ever know. We were finally going to be together again."

Tears poured down her face as she responded, "We would have, if you had not become this monster again after everything. You were finally free of the darkness and yet you chose power over me as you've always done. I did love you, Rumple. Even after my heart told me that I shouldn't have. I fell for your lies, again. And now you will pay for your own sins. Give them back the ring and me the dagger, now!"

He looked at her sadly as he shook his head and answered, "I can't. I'm so sorry."

"Then I am too," Belle replied as she immediately opened the box that began to pull the Dark One inside when he attempted to get away in a puff of smoke. "This will keep you from hurting anyone again, until I find you a more suitable prison!"

"Belle!" Gold screamed as Pandora's Box finished its magic by entrapping the most powerful magic within the room inside of it, leaving behind only the ring he was holding as it slipped from his hand and into Emma's as she reached out to catch it.

Everyone looked over at the woman who just saved them at the cost of her own happiness as Mary Margaret attempted to step forward to comfort her until Belle backed away and responded, "Don't. I need time to think. I hope whatever you're doing to bring Killian back works, but I can't stay or be around anyone right now. Take the box and keep it safe. We'll talk later."

As she left, Emma swiftly turned back to Hook and placed his ring between her hand and his own, then summoned his soul back into his body as she held her other hand over his cheek and waited, pleading with him to come back to her. It was when her hope was beginning to fade, believing that she had lost him for good, that he suddenly gasped and breathed in air. However, when he finally managed to open his eyes and tried to look at the woman holding him, Killian weakly pulled away from her and stared at her in fear before losing consciousness once more.


	26. Chapter 26

Killian's Inferno

Chapter Twenty-Six

Still inside the clinic's room…

"So, how is he?" Mary Margaret asked the doctor, who finally finished hooking up his newly revived patient to the machines and IV drips that would help to keep him alive like he expected the man to need if the heroes had actually succeeded, which they did much to his surprise. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Whale replied coldly as he glared over at the Princess from their old land, then looked back at the machines to observe the readings. "If you're asking me if he's actually alive, then I would tell you yes. But if you're asking me if he's mentally alright, or going to stay alive, the truth is… I have no idea. Hook's vital signs are weak, alarmingly so. I'm amazed that you accomplished this to be honest."

While Emma kept her eyes on Killian as she sat in a chair as close to his bedside as she could be and held his one hand within her own, using her other hand to gently caress his face and run her fingers through his hair, being careful not to disturb the tube now running beneath his nose to help keep him breathing properly, she finally spoke again asking worryingly, "How much pain is he in? Is it why he passed out?"

The man looked down at her, then between her family and friends still with them in the room as if he couldn't believe their ignorance and responded, "He didn't just pass out, Miss. Swan. Your pirate Captain is comatose. You stabbed him through his chest with a sword, not to mention all of the rest of his wounds and the emotional torment he suffered through while in Hell. As for how much pain he's in, I can't even begin to imagine. I warned you of the consequences."

"Can't you do anything for him?" Robin asked nervously, concerned for his friend's welfare. "Anything at all?"

"I've already done all I can," Dr. Whale answered coldly as he started to leave the room again. "I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker."

Regina immediately called out to him, "Yeah, you're right about that! What a jerk. If we had any other doctor in town, I would fire his ass. Unfortunately, he's all we've got. Emma, you can try to heal him with your magic. I don't know how much can be healed, but…"

Emma closed her eyes and concentrated on only him as she ran her hands across his chest to try to heal the deep wound through his chest from when she stabbed him with Excalibur, and like she expected, she couldn't make it work. The sword had done its job as Regina had said when he died, but it still wouldn't be healed. The laceration along the left side of his neck was the same. They would both heal on their own over time, but the scars that will left behind would be a terrible reminder to him of his torture, something the Savior wished she could spare him from.

The brand upon his arm didn't vanish either so she finally moved on to the lash marks across his back as she gently lifted the upper half of his body up off the bed and held him against her with her father's help, being careful not to disturb the machines. The lesser of the gashes healed fairly easily, but the worst of them, did not. These were inflictions forced upon him by an immortal God. They weren't meant to be healed.

After everyone became silent and it remained that way for several minutes as they observed Emma with the man she loved, August finally turned to his friend's parents and the others as he said quietly, "I'm afraid that that's not the only bad news. Two nights ago, Hook's first mate, Smee, nearly succeeded in destroying his body."

"What!" the Queen asked in anger. "How is that even possible? My vault was protected by powerful magic and Hook's body was preserved."

"Yes, but before you guys left, Rumpelstiltskin threatened him into helping him to do this," the once puppet turned into a real boy replied in frustration. "He gave him some magic to help him. Thankfully, Leroy and Tinker Bell were able to catch him in time. The reason I'm bringing this up now, is that after we arrested him and put him in the cell next to Arthur, they both plotted an escape, which no one overheard. They're both gone now, somehow. We've been searching for them everywhere, but so far neither of them have turned up. We've got townsfolk posted down at the docks in case they try to steal a ship to get out. We've even got extra men near the Jolly Roger to keep it safe too. We won't give up. I promise."

After carefully laying Killian back down, Emma finally turned her head toward everyone's direction, though she still didn't look up at anyone as she responded sullenly, "Thank you, August."

Henry walked over and put his hand down on her shoulder as she turned back to Hook, then he stated, "Don't worry, Mom. They'll find them. There's only so many places they can hide and eventually they'll have to come out, for food and things. I'm going to go. I have something I need to do, but I'll check in with you soon. All right, Mom?"

"That's fine," she answered again as she finally looked up into her son's eyes, tears still within her own, and pulled his face close to kiss his cheek. "And thank you too, Henry. For everything, for being so brave and amazing down there."

"It's as I told you," he replied sincerely. "You both have done so much for me, for this town. It's about time we've all done something for the two of you for a change. Bye."

Regina watched him leave, then looked over at Robin and kissed him, after which she turned to look between Emma and her parents and spoke up saying, "If you don't mind, we're going to leave ourselves. The three of you ought to be the only ones with him for awhile."

Robin nodded in agreement, then added quickly, "But let us know if there are any changes, or if there's anything you need, even if it's food from Granny's. That's where we'll be headed I think. I'm starving. Exactly how long has it been since we've gone, anyway?"

"Only two days," Mother Superior responded as she and Tinker Bell started to leave as well.

"Two days?" David asked in surprise. "I suppose that makes since, but I swear there were times it felt like we down there much longer."

Mary Margaret shrugged and answered, "I suppose that's one of the tricks of the Underworld. Milah did say that Hook will have believed that he was trapped down there for years."

When the fairies and the dwarfs who had come with them down to the clinic all left the room as well, Regina looked back over at Emma and Killian remorsefully once again and then said softly, "We'll see you later then."

"Emma, would you like us to stay with you?" Mary Margaret asked sadly as she gently reached out to place her hand down on top of her daughter's. "Because, we will. There's no place we would rather be right now than with you and Killian. If there's anything you need…"

"I'm fine," the Savior replied curtly, though she didn't mean to sound ungrateful. "I'm sorry. I just mean that I don't need anything else right now except to be with him. But I would be grateful if you both stayed too. Not to talk. I just really could use your support."

David pulled her into a hug, while Mary Margaret put her arms around the both of them as Emma finally allowed herself to break down and cry as she had done the night that Killian died. Together, her parents held their daughter close for a long time. As it did every parent, it broke their hearts to see Emma in so much pain, so they didn't let her go, until she was ready for them to let her go.

Three days later…

Belle was busy cleaning things up within Gold's pawnshop late one afternoon when she heard the bell over the door ring and looked up from behind the counter to see Emma standing in the doorway, then slowly move toward her. Neither woman said a word for several moments, both being unsure of what to say.

Finally, Emma spoke first as she said, "I wanted to come by and say thank you, for what you did the other day. I can't even imagine how difficult it had to be for you, but…"

Belle cut her off as she responded, "It was the right thing to do. I'm just glad that I was able to get there in time to help. How is Killian doing?"

"There hasn't been any changes," Emma answered sadly. "But he's hanging on. That's what's important right now. How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright," the older woman replied sincerely. "Actually, I'm doing better than I thought I would be. Truthfully, I'm used to his lies and though it still hurts that he would willingly take the darkness back within himself after I gave my heart to him once again, after he was finally freed of it… It just goes to show that he is a wicked man whether he is the Dark One or just Rumpelstiltskin. I feel worse for his son, Baelfire. He did give his life to save his father after all."

Emma nodded and then asked, "How is it that you knew that Rumpelstiltskin was the Dark One again anyway. I threatened him that I would tell you, but I never got the chance to before we left for the Underworld."

Belle continued moving some things from beneath the counter onto the top as she responded, "I overheard people talking about what he had done at Granny's. They didn't know I was there. I didn't want to believe it then, but I went to Mother Superior to ask for her help to know the truth within my heart. I saw a vision of yours and Rumple's conversation the morning after Killian died, when he admitted to you the truth about him becoming that monster again. I knew that I had to do something to help you when you returned."

"So you searched this shop and found the box… Pandora's Box," Emma stated.

"Yes," she answered, then sneezed as dust entered her nose. "I knew it was here, but I didn't know where, so I enlisted Archie's and the Blue Fairy's help to help me find it. Now it's in your charge, to hold onto him until we can get another prison built to contain him. I've asked the dwarfs to build a cell much like the one Rumple told me about in the Enchanted Forest, the enchanted one your parents had him imprisoned in. The dwarfs will build it, and the fairies will enchant it so that he cannot escape. It's perhaps better than he deserves, but it is more humane than to leave him inside that cursed box for the rest of his life."

Emma smiled as she replied, "You're an amazing woman, Belle. I owe you a lot. Let me know if there's anything you need."

She nodded, then responded, "Just tell Killian when he wakes up that I am sorry for the pain I helped cause him. He's a good man, who didn't deserve anything my husband ever did to him."

"I will," the Savior answered with a nod and then turned to leave the shop. "And thank you again."

When Emma returned to the clinic within an hour after she left after going to see Belle, she found her son sitting at Hook's bedside while he read to him from his book of fairytales like she had seen him do for her father back when he had been in his own coma before the first curse over their town had been broken. She smiled and made his way over to them as she set down a bag of food from Granny's on the table beside them, then took her own seat, patted Henry's knee in gratitude, and took Killian's hand again as she continued to listen while he read some more.

"Wait a minute, that's not your book," she spoke up as she looked at Henry in confusion after a few minutes. "What book is that?"

"It is mine," he replied smugly. "I mean, it's one that I wrote."

Emma smiled as she understood and responded, "So, you decided to record the rest of our stories after all. But I thought you broke the quill, and this book looks just like the other ones."

Henry looked over at Hook sadly, then back at his mother as he answered, "I knew that I had to. I am the Author after all. So, I went to the Blue Fairy and the others to ask them if they could forge me a new quill, one that doesn't require light or dark blood to work, but that does basically the same thing Isaac's did. It writes in these fancy letters and illustrates the stories for me, which is good because I can't draw worth a damn."

"Henry, this is wonderful," his mother replied as she hugged him, then took the book from him to see what story it was that he was reading to the man she loved while he was still lying unconscious.

"It's from when Killian took me out on his ship for the first time and taught me how to sail," the young man responded, smiling at the memory. "He told me about my dad and the good times they had together a long time ago. He even told me of the rough times that came between them as well. It was back when I didn't have my memories of this place, but after the second curse was broken, I still remembered everything we did together. Hook's going to get better soon, Mom. I know it."

She smiled, then patted his cheek as she answered, "Thanks, kid."

Six weeks later…

Emma and David were sitting together inside a booth at Granny's diner eating lunch like they usually did, while Mary Margaret was at home putting baby Neal down for a nap and Henry was off somewhere with Regina. As they were getting ready to leave, August walked inside and took a seat beside Emma, waiting for his food order to be ready.

He was the first to start talking as he said, "It looks like we all had the same idea. I was on my way to my father's and thought it'd be nice to bring him something to eat while we work together on a few art projects, ones that are bit more advanced than the ones I made with him when I was a child."

"That sounds nice," David replied with a smile. "Tell Geppetto I said hello, and that we should all get together for dinner sometime soon."

"I'm sure he would like that," the younger man stated, then he looked over at Emma and saw the weariness in her face, knowing full well why. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Yeah, well my dad encouraged me that it would be good to get out for a bit," she responded in frustration. "I know that he's right, but I hate leaving Killian down at the clinic alone."

August nodded and then asked, "So, how is he doing today? Have there been any signs of him getting better at all?"

Emma shook her head and was about to answer, when all of a sudden, Leroy came barging into the diner as he quickly looked around for Emma and called out to her saying, "You have to come now, sister. I just saw Hook awake and stumbling around outside, too far off in the distance for me to try to catch up to him, but he was heading down toward the pond. I sent the other dwarfs off to look for you wherever we thought you could be. Emma, he looked… confused and scared. I tried calling out to him…"

"Killian!" Emma simply cried as she ran from the table after August let her out of the booth, then he and David quickly ran after her.

"Hold the food, Granny!" August shouted to the old woman as she came out of the kitchen to see what was with the commotion. "I'll be back!"

By the time they found Hook, they saw that he was standing in the shallow water of the pond that was really the portal down to the Underworld and without thinking, Emma rushed down to him as she called out again, "Killian, stop!"

The pirate stood motionless, though he didn't make any more of an effort to leave the water as he slowly turned to look at the woman running toward him, but just as she reached him, Hook immediately pulled away from her in fear and stuttered weakly, "N… no, get back. You're not real… not Emma."

"You're wrong, Killian," she whispered sadly, tears falling down her face upon seeing the terror on his face upon realizing that he believed he was still trapped and being tormented down in the Underworld. "You're back home, and safe. It's really me. I'm real, and so are my father and August. We came down to that hell to save you."

"That's only what you want me to believe!" he shouted angrily as he suddenly gasped and fell back against the tree behind him in pain while clutching his chest, then Emma and David immediately took to his side and helped him all the way down to the ground. "I don't know… what's real!"

He still struggled to fight them off until he couldn't any longer as Emma continued, "I don't know what to say… How do I convince you that I'm really me?"

David had a thought, then he looked over at his daughter and answered, "Prove to him how much you love him. Share with him the precious moments that made you fall in love with him."

"You're right," she said sadly as she turned back to the man she truly did love, while Granny, Leroy and his brothers, and soon Mary Margaret with Neal in her arms, as well as Henry, Regina, and Robin, all appeared from not too far away as they watched the tragic scene happening before them. "Killian, back when we were in Neverland and I was just starting to get to know the real you, you told me that you would one day win my heart. Not through any trickery, but because I would want you. You encouraged me to not lose hope that I would save Henry, because you had yet to see me fail, at anything. You have no idea how much that meant to me, even though I didn't necessarily allow myself to believe it then."

"Please stop," Killian pleaded hopelessly as he weakly turned his head away from her so that he wouldn't have to look into her eyes any longer until Emma gently placed both of her hands on the sides of his face, seeing his own tears fall. "She wouldn't come… come for me. Not after… all I've done. I gave into the darkness… Killed her family and destroy… destroyed the… town, the people she… loved. I murdered…"

Emma shook her head and cried softly as she replied, "Shush… Please believe me, you didn't. Whatever Hades and the other souls down in the Underworld told you or showed you, Killian, they were all lies. You destroyed only the darkness. You defeated the Dark Ones and sacrificed your life to save us all. When you followed me to the past after I fell through Zelena's time portal, you made sure that I never gave up on myself or on my family. And it was that night, after we made it back home, that you told me you gave up your ship for me, that I first realized you were the kind of man I could be with. When I felt like my parents betrayed me, you refused to let me give up on them and made me realize that I didn't want to live without them in my life."

She paused as she turned to her father, then back to her mother, both of whom nodded and encouraged her to keep going, then finally she looked at Killian again and continued, "You revealed to me your fear of falling back into the darkness and of losing your own happy ending, because you were once a villain. And when you told me that your happy ending was me, it was in that moment that I knew I was in love with you too, like you were with me. You gave your life to save me and Henry when you didn't know me at all while we were trapped in the Author's book, trusted me wholeheartedly when there was no reason for you to, other than because I asked you to. You once told me, all sins can be forgiven, when someone loves you. And I do love you, Killian! I forgive you. Please, I don't know what more I can say to convince you I'm really me, except…"

"Come back to me," she whispered as she puts her lips to his and began to kiss him with as much love as she had within her, revealing true love's kiss as a burst of magic shot out from within them as if some sort of spell or curse on them had been broken.

"Emma?" Killian murmured in disbelief upon waking from his haze and finding that she truly was sitting there right in front of him, that he had really been saved from the Underworld as she promised him he had been. "You really came… for me?"

Through her tears, she laughed and leaned in to kiss him again, then David softly put his hand down on his shoulder as he responded, "We all did. You gave your life to save us all despite the darkness inside of you, Hook… Killian Jones. You may be a pirate, but I have never been happier to have been proven wrong about a person in my life. You really do deserve to love our daughter and she you."

Together, David, Emma, and August all helped him to stand as they gently started walking with him toward the others nearby, then August asked, "Exactly what were you thinking when you came here by the way?"

"I'm not really sure… sure, mate," Hook answered faintly, stumbling until the strong hands lifted him back up, then he suddenly realized where it was they were. "I suppose I was going ba… back to where I thought I destroyed… everything I worked so hard to fight for."

"Rest easy, my friend," Robin replied happily. "You're safe again, and alive. We truly will have a reason to celebrate tonight."

Regina smiled coolly at him as she responded, "Yes, welcome back, Guyliner; Killian. It was an incredibly brave thing you did, for all of us. I'm sorry for the terrible things I said to you that night."

Mary Margaret reached out to hug him with one arm as she quickly added, "Welcome back! We're so glad you're home. And thank you, so much for everything you did for us, to save us."

"Aye, but if it weren't for my weakness…" he responded, suddenly looking ashamed again. "None of you… would have been placed in dang… danger in the first place."

"You need to stop beating yourself up about all of that," Emma answered. "If anyone is to blame for the things that happened to us all since I became the Dark One, it's me. I was the one who made you the very monster you hated for so long and were afraid of. The monster you begged me not to turn you into. It may have been for love, but it was still selfish, and wrong. I will never forgive myself for that."

Hook looked over at the woman he loved again while she continued to walk alongside of him and then replied, "If I am to forgive… myself, love, you first must for… forgive yourself as well. How is it I am alive, other than you coming down… to free my soul?"

Emma smiled as she reached over to touch her hand to his chest as she responded, "I gave you half of my heart, as my mother did for my father."

"You really should have seen Mom down there," Henry spoke up saying excitedly. "She was amazing and she totally kicked Hades' butt. Don't worry though, I'm currently working on writing it all down. I'll show you my book when it's all finished."

"You, wrote a book?" Killian asked as he looked at the boy in front of him as they finally arrived back in town where they could find a place to set him down to rest.

The young man smiled and answered, "Of course! And it's about all of our adventures."

Four nights later…

Both Killian and Emma were lying in their bed together asleep inside the home he had chosen for them, though the truth was that he barely slept, while nightmares constantly plagued his dreams, some worse than others as he would wake up in cold sweats or even screaming from his torture, believing that he was never rescued after all.

This night was no different and the moment that Emma wrapped her arms around him from behind, after he stood from the bed and walked down into the living room where the telescope she had set up for him to see the ocean was, he reached up to touch her hand that was over his chest and whispered, "Forgive me, love. I didn't mean to wake you, again."

"You have no need to apologize, Killian," she replied sadly. "I thought I told you that? I really wish you would let me take you back to the clinic, not that I don't love having you lying beside me every night. It's just that you're still in so much pain and surely Archie can give you something to help you sleep."

"No, as much as I would like to sleep again, as much pain as I might feel, I feel safer here, with you at my side," Killian responded as he turned around to look at her. "Anyway, I don't know what kind of patient I would be for your good doctor, the cricket."

Emma smiled and answered, "His name is Archie Hopper and yes, he used to be Jiminy Cricket, but I promise you he is a good therapist. I know that you're a survivor. However, talking to him would do you some good."

He looked into her eyes and saw her plea, then he replied, "All right, Swan. If that is what you wish of me."

"Good," she stated happily and kissed him. "Now, seeing as there will be no more sleep for either of us tonight, we can get back to discussing our wedding."

"I don't understand," the pirate responded as he looked at her again in confusion. "I don't recall…"

Emma held up her left hand that had his ring over her finger as she interrupted, "I know that you didn't exactly propose to me that day in Camelot when you gave me your brother's ring, but… I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Killian. And I could feel that you felt the same way. Now that we share a heart, I can feel it even more so."

He looked at the woman he loved more than life itself for a moment out of fear, that this was no more than another nightmare as he asked, "Emma, are you certain you really want to spend the rest of your life, with me?"

"You know me better than anyone," she answered sincerely. "You know that I would never even consider this, if I wasn't one hundred percent certain that this is what I want. And I do want it. Besides, how many people do you think I would chase after into the Underworld for?"

"Then, I happily accept your grand proposal and wish to marry whenever your heart desires," Killian said as he leaned down to kiss her once again and continued doing so as they passionately made their way back upstairs to their bed so that they could make love for their first time since that day in Camelot after he had taken her horseback riding to help her dismiss the demons in her head. "I will love you for my whole life and well into the next, no matter where that may be, Emma Swan."

After a few weeks, the dwarfs completed the prison and once the enchantment took hold, Emma, Hook, and Belle were there to release Rumpelstiltskin from Pandora's Box while standing with the cell so he wouldn't be able to escape, no matter how he tried. The heroes had won out over the villain at last, though he vowed he would one day escape. They didn't doubt him, but they didn't allow his words ruin their happiness either. Everything was as it should be in Storybrooke at last.

The Savior and her pirate married a month later at the toll bridge within the woods, where with some help from Regina and the fairies, dozens of middlemist flowers surrounded them, grown from the very blossom Killian had given Emma in Camelot. Most of the town turned out for the occasion, a ball at Emma's request. And they all lived happily ever after… for now.

The End


	27. Thank You

Thank you to all of those who have read and have written reviews for my stories! They are much appreciated. I'm honored to have you all for fans and I hope to hear from you all again in the future, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


End file.
